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

Prior to his takeover, the sister pageants suffered some shakeups, most notably after the 2023 adult and junior winners, Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastav, relinquished their titles. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

In one, and probably only one, respect, the pageant in Sharm al-Sheikh resembled a certain type of Protestant wedding. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025

Stewart denied allegations that the pageant was rigged, and an internal investigation concluded no rigging took place. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

Some scholars have suggested that the boys were prized for their looks and conscripted into homoerotic pageants created by Christopher Marlowe. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 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