exposure

 
Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspəʊʒə, ɛk-/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the state of having no protection from something harmful: the dangers posed by exposure to asbestos
  • a physical condition resulting from being outside in severe weather without adequate protection: they were suffering from exposure
  • experience of something: his exposure to the banking system
  • the action of placing oneself at risk of financial losses, e.g. through making loans or underwriting insurance: New Delhi increased its exposure to hard loans [count noun]: an $8-million loan exposure to the real estate industry
  • 2the revelation of something secret, especially something embarrassing or damaging: she took her life for fear of exposure as a spy
  • the publicizing of information or an event: scientific findings receive regular exposure in the media
  • 3the action of exposing a photographic film to light: a camera which would give a picture immediately after exposure [count noun]: trial exposures made with a UV filter
  • [count noun] the quantity of light reaching a photographic film, as determined by shutter speed and lens aperture: an exposure of 0.5 seconds at f/5.6
  • 4 [count noun] the direction in which a building faces; an outlook: the exposure is perfect—a gentle slope to the south-west

Origin:

early 17th century: from expose, on the pattern of words such as enclosure