pageant

noun

pag·​eant ˈpa-jənt 

1

a

: a mere show : pretense

b

: an ostentatious display

2

: show, exhibition

especially : an elaborate colorful exhibition or spectacle often with music that consists of a series of tableaux, of a loosely unified drama, or of a procession usually with floats

3

: pageantry sense 1

Synonyms of pageant

• parade
• presentation
• panorama

Examples of pageant in a Sentence

They disagreed with the pageant judges.

Their church puts on an annual Christmas pageant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sims is a former Miss Teen USA beauty pageant contestant. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026

The father of 6-year-old beauty pageant princess JonBenét Ramsey is addressing speculation that his late daughter is in the Epstein files. —Karu F Daniels, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026

The beauty queen won five pageants — Miss West Coast, Miss Nuestra Belleza USA, Miss Fresno County, Miss Regional West and Miss California Congeniality. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

She is also credited as the music supervisor for the NAACP Image Awards and several Miss Universe pageants, most recently in 2023. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pagyn, padgeant, literally, scene of a play, from Anglo-French pagine, pagent, from Medieval Latin pagina, perhaps from Latin, page

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

pageant

noun

pag·​eant ˈpaj-ənt 

1

: an impressive exhibition or spectacle

2

: an entertainment consisting of scenes based on history or legend