A display/array/exhibit/exhibition of fruit

Question

There is a display of fruit on the table....         an array of ......         an exhibit of ......         an exhibition of ...Hi,Do all of the above sound right and mean about the same? Thanks.

DeerMusic · Accepted Answer

I believe all the words are close in meaning, but they are not identical. Let me try to make the differences clear.

There is a display of fruit on the table. To me, that means the fruit is sitting on the table, perhaps looking very nice, and I feel comfortable picking up a piece of fruit to eat. (display = show)

There is an array of fruit on the table. To me, that means the fruit is sitting on the table, but in a specific order. It might look very nice, but I would feel a little less comfortable about taking a fruit and changing (disarranging, same word as array) the array. (array = ordered display of materials)

There is an exhibit of fruit on the table. To me, that means that the fruit is sitting on the table, but it is probably not for eating. The person who set up the exhibit just wants you to see what you might have, if you want to order fruit. (exhibit = the act of displaying something)

There is an exhibition of fruit on the table. To me, that means I have a ticket to see something. But it is only to look at and, perhaps, admire. There is no food. Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Online dictionary says one definition of exhibition is "a display especially of works of art or objects of manufacture."

I hope this helps.

A display/array/exhibit/exhibition of fruit

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