panoply

noun pan·o·ply \ ˈpa-nə-plē \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of panoply

plural panoplies

1 a : a full suit of armor

Knights in panoply were ready for battle.

b : ceremonial attire

The nobles were in panoply for the coronation.

2 : something forming a protective covering

faces dim in a panoply of smoke
—William Baucke

3 a : a magnificent or impressive array

the full panoply of a military funeral

woods … in their full panoply of autumn foliage
—S. P. B. Mais

b : a display of all appropriate appurtenances

no need for the panoply of power

windows … beyond which the usual panoply of modern mechanical conveniences can brazenly flourish
—Lewis Mumford

See panoply defined for English-language learners

See panoply defined for kids

panoply was our Word of the Day on 03/26/2007. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of panoply from the Web

The laptop connects to a dozen cameras set up around San Francisco, from the top of the Ferry Building to the Cliff House to capture the full urban panoply.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "Atop Salesforce Tower, one of the world’s highest works of public art comes to light," 20 May 2018
And, in the role of Banquo, actor Andrew White somehow captures the full panoply of human expression.

— chris jones, chicagotribune.com, "Guilt and ambition have to fight it out in every 'Macbeth,' even this thriller by Teller," 4 May 2018
The whole panoply of causes were designed to soften the harsher edges of industrialization.

— denise davidson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "In new book, author Jon Meacham examines 'The Soul of America'," 3 June 2018
Online menswear giant Bonobos recently put together an ad campaign with a video that features a rotating panoply of men wearing its clothes.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Ric Wilson’s BANBA lifts his community as it takes his hip-hop career higher," 25 May 2018
The federal government has just begun to ramp up borrowing to pay for the lower corporate and personal tax rates and greater spending on the military and a panoply of non-defense programs.

— mark zandi, Philly.com, "Trump's tax cuts and the Federal Reserve will push up interest rates, causing pain for consumers," 26 Apr. 2018
The singer remains, as always, a panoply of unexpected tastes.

— k. austin collins, Vanities, "Grimes’s Met Gala Tesla Choker Was the Night’s Most Pleasant Surprise (To Our Surprise!)," 8 May 2018
Iran’s labor disputes are extending a panoply of protests in the Islamic Republic that stem from social, economic and political strains.

— asa fitch, WSJ, "Labor Strikes and Worker Protests Erupt Across Iran: ‘This is Slavery’," 6 May 2018
Trump does not have direct control over America First, which is positioned in the panoply of GOP fund-raising organizations as the president’s main political arm, second only to his own reelection campaign committee.

— annie linskey, BostonGlobe.com, "President Trump’s super PAC falls well short of super," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'panoply.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Panoply comes from the Greek word panoplia, which referred to the full suit of armor worn by "hoplites," heavily armed infantry soldiers of ancient Greece. "Panoplia" is a blend of the prefix pan-, meaning "all," and hopla, meaning "arms" or "armor." (As you may have guessed already, "hopla" is also an ancestor of "hoplite.") "Panoply" entered the English language in the 17th century, and since then it has developed other senses which extend both the "armor" and the "full set" aspects of its original use.