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

Footage of the incident made the rounds on social media, with videos showing Henry abruptly disappearing beneath the stage before eventually being removed from the pageant on a stretcher. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Dec. 2025

Despite Itsaragrisil's tearful apology, Cantú, the president of the pageant, responded to the backlash by announcing a series of sanctions restricting and almost completely excluding Itsaragrisil from the events of the 74th pageant. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025

The pageant has denied his claims, posting a public statement on Instagram. —Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025

Often sitting at the intersection of politics and national pride, pageants have proven to be magnets for scandal. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 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