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

Kaye began as a music supervisor on American Idol in 2009 and spent 16 years curating songs that were sung by contestants, while also shaping the sound of Lip Sync Battle and the Miss Universe pageant. —Danielle Bacher, People.com, 31 July 2025

Another beauty queen will head from Miami to the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025

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, 18 July 2025

The social element of pageants has been a perk, too. —Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 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