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

In a long sequence after intermission, the community performs a fairy-tale pageant, supposedly written by Peter and the kids, for Will (also Pecinka, in less hair and slicker clothes), Peter’s enigmatic brother who has in fact turned up in search of him. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025

The pageant activities began on Sunday in Bangkok. —Anabella González, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025

In a livestream on the organization's official Facebook page, pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil called out Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch for allegedly refusing to partake in a photo shoot meant for contestants to share on social media. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

During a pre-pageant event, pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly chastised Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch, leading to a tense back-and-forth exchange that resulted in several contestants walking out in support of Bosch. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 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