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

That did not last, however, and last year’s Miss USA and Miss Teen USA streamed on the Queen Beauty Network, a digital outlet focused on pageant and fashion content. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Madilynn Becker, Miss Kansas While Madilynn Becker has long since given up most of her rituals and superstitions, there was one that ferried her through her young pageant career. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

No stranger to controversy over the past several years, the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants have just landed in another. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

The rest of the panel was completed by Miami businesspeople and television executives, and pageant directors from Latin American countries. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 21 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