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

• cavalcade

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

García represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico, where she was placed among the Top 30. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025

Hudson was named second runner-up, but the two left the pageant hand-in-hand. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 15 May 2025

James Hansen The pageant of the handshake, with a better ending? —Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 May 2025

The 24-year-old competed in the interview, evening gown and swimsuit portions of the competition, and entered the event ranked No. 7 in the pageant’s online voting system. —Durham Herald-Sun, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025

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