# curation

/kjʊɹˈeɪʃən/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/curation
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

careful choosing and organizing of things to share with people, like art for a museum or songs for a playlist.

For teachers: selection, organization, and presentation of objects, artworks, or digital content for a particular audience or purpose. Often implies expert judgment about quality, relevance, and context.

## Examples

- She handles the curation of songs for our party playlist.
- The museum hired her for the curation of its new photography exhibit on city life.
- The festival's thoughtful curation balanced established masters with emerging voices, creating a dialogue across generations and styles.

## Synonyms

selection

## Usage notes

- Often followed by 'of' plus a noun phrase, as in 'curation of the exhibit'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.