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

Related article The rise of the AI beauty pageant and its complicated quest for the ‘perfect’ woman DaLuise believed she had been framed, and attention soon turned to the police’s informant, Feinstein. —Oscar Holland, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024

Miss Michigan Alma Cooper took the crown on Sunday during the pageant's 73rd annual ceremony, and comes after the resignation of a previous titleholder caused controversy and spawned shakeups at the Miss USA organization. —Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024

And with the voluntary resignation of the 2023 winner, Noelia Voigt, the pageant has come under intense scrutiny from news outlets and all corners of cyberspace. —Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2024

The 42nd Miss Teen USA pageant and 73rd Miss USA pageant aired on The CW Network, although the network was evaluating its relationship with the the organizations after the resignations of the past winners. —Taijuan Moorman, The Courier-Journal, 5 Aug. 2024

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