Definition

Noun: A game, typically in professional sports, that is played for practice, demonstration, or entertainment purposes and whose final result does not count towards the official league standings or season statistics.

Usage

An "exhibition game" is a non-competitive match. It is used to describe a sporting event played outside of the official competitive season. Its primary purposes are to allow teams to practice, try out new players, or provide entertainment for fans without the pressure of affecting the official win-loss record.

Examples

• The basketball team will play an exhibition game against a European club before the regular season starts.
• The charity event featured an exhibition game between retired legends and current stars.
• The outcome of that match doesn't matter; it was just an exhibition game.

Advanced Usage

• "to stage/hold an exhibition game": To organize or put on a non-competitive game.
  • The city will stage an exhibition game to celebrate the new stadium.
• The term implies the game is for show or for practice, contrasting with a "regular-season game" or a "playoff game."

Variants and Related Words

• Friendly (noun, chiefly British English): A match, especially in soccer, played for practice or pleasure rather than in competition; a synonym for an exhibition game.
• Preseason game (noun): A specific type of exhibition game played before the official season begins to prepare teams.
• Scrimmage (noun): A practice game, often less formal than an exhibition game, usually held in private.

Synonyms

• Friendly match
• Preseason game
• Practice game
• Non-competitive match
• Showcase game

Antonyms

• Regular-season game
• Competitive match
• Playoff game
• Championship game

Noun

1. a game whose outcome is not recorded in the season's standing