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

The injuries forced her to pivot away from soccer into pageantry, marathons and strength training. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Because the mascots, the pageantry, the tribal nature of it, the excitement around it. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

The sights, sounds and pageantry that make up college football can come to life at the corner of 95th Street and King Drive. — Monique Carroll, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

In the very human-scale role of Chef, all that glamour and pageantry seethes just beneath the skin. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 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