pageantry

noun

pag·​eant·​ry ˈpa-jən-trē 

1

: pageants and the presentation of pageants

2

: colorful, rich, or splendid display : spectacle

3

: mere show : empty display

Examples of pageantry in a Sentence

I like the tradition and pageantry that come with graduations.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the pageantry of Opening Day is special for everyone, and the Cubs will be soaking it all in on Thursday afternoon. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

By the time the service takes place, the archbishop has already been formally elected and legally confirmed in the office, but the installation is more than pageantry. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026

Kumari writes that horses were both a source of military strength and a focus of pageantry for Mughal aristocratic leaders. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 20 Mar. 2026

All the predictions, drama and pageantry of Hollywood’s biggest night will play out at the Dolby Theatre this afternoon as the 98th Academy Awards get underway. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pageantry

noun

pag·​eant·​ry ˈpaj-ən-trē 

plural pageantries

1

: pageants and the presentation of pageants

2

: splendid display