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

Myla Hadley, the first runner-up, will now assume the title and move forward at the Miss USA pageant later this month, organizers confirmed. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026

The victim, identified by relatives as Kiara Darvonne Bowling, is in her early 30s and works as an event planner and competes in pageants. — Da Lin, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026

Brodeur also emphasized that holding the title comes with expectations beyond winning a pageant. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

Then, there’s Miss Israel 2026 Danielle Yablonka, a Miami native who has moved to Israel, according to the pageant’s website. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 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