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

• 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

Attractions include kitschy traditions such as a butter-sculpting demonstration, in which a master carver crafts a bust of the winner of the annual Princess Kay of the Milky Way pageant, and the Miracle of Birth Center, displaying pens of expectant farm animals. —Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Champion later revealed to Vestavia Voice that she was first scouted at one of her sister's pageants. —Arielle Tschinkel, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

The Victorians had turned death into something of a pageant, something to be celebrated as much as revered; for the large part, death followed illness and was often witnessed by surviving family members. —Alice Vernon september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025

Miss Vermont, a 27-year-old Army National Guard sergeant, will compete in the Miss America pageant on Sunday. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 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