parade

1 of 2

noun

pa·rade pə-ˈrād

plural parades

Synonyms of parade next

: a public procession (see procession entry 1 sense 1a) usually to mark a holiday or event

… the Halloween parade is open to all city boys and girls 12 years and younger wearing costumes. … Participants will receive a free trick-or-treat bag and candy along the parade route …—

The Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union

May 30th was Memorial Day, when Americans remember those who died serving in the armed forces. … Soldiers and sailors marched in parades honouring the fallen.—

The Economist

especially : one involving many different people or groups who travel down a street usually on foot or in vehicles (such as floats)

Pinta and her family planned the parade that featured more than 90 groups, organizations and politicians. —

Windy City Times (Chicago)

Approximately 50 parade entries include marching bands, celebrities, community groups, public officials and fire/police vehicles. —

Ivy Weiss

… over 25,000 people dress extravagantly, from colorful bikinis with feathers to … gowns, while performing in steel bands and dance groups on the elaborately decorated floats that form the official parade. —

Marthe van der Wolf

The parade will feature spectacular flower-covered floats with riders in colorful costumes, beautiful dresses and striking uniforms. —

San Antonio Magazine

: a usually long series of people or things

… the American people watched a parade of witnesses expose the details of a political crime …—

Karen De Witt

The movie does have one campy casting conceit: a parade of cameos by stars of old TV Western series …—

David Hiltbrand

Our antipasto was a parade of little dishes containing black olives, fresh sheep cheeses, … and prosciutto.—

Robert Riche

((British)) … went to see the new street art, which is on the … end of a parade of shops …—

Tim Lewis

: the ceremonial formation of a body of troops before a superior officer

Handcrafted reproductions of miniature 18th-century tin soldiers, … these Austrian horsemen assume dramatic poses of battle and parade.—

The Smithsonian Catalog

: a place where troops assemble regularly for parade

: a pompous show : exhibition

The male booby may walk around using exaggerated, deliberate-looking leg movements, displaying his bright-blue legs and feet. Actually his parade is closer to the pick 'em up and put 'em down gait of … scuba divers.—

Michael H. Robinson

: a place for strolling (such as a public walk or square)

: those who promenade

parade

2 of 2

verb

paraded; parading

transitive verb

: to cause to maneuver or march : marshal

: promenade

: to exhibit ostentatiously

intransitive verb

: to march in or as if in a procession

: promenade

: show off

: masquerade

myths which parade as modern science—

M. R. Cohen

parader noun

Choose the Right Synonym for parade

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention.

show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine.

showed her snapshots to the whole group

exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly.

exhibit paintings at a gallery

display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage.

display sale items

expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying.

sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers

parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying.

parading their piety for all to see

flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading.

nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

Examples of parade in a Sentence

Noun the annual Thanksgiving Day parade After the team won the championship, the city threw a parade for them. The town will put on a parade. The marching band lined up for the homecoming parade. Verb The team and its fans paraded down the street. Protesters paraded in front of City Hall. The models paraded up and down the runway. She paraded around on the beach in her bikini. The victors paraded the prisoners through the streets. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As a ring girl in black hot pants parades the Round Three card to the crowd, Valenzuela implores Manuel to stop lunging in. —

Ben Wyatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2023 At the Armed Forces Day military parade in Warsaw, Aug. 15. —

WSJ, 21 Sep. 2023 Over the summer, a Khalistani group in Canada carried a tableau during a parade depicting the murder of Ms. Gandhi. —

Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023 Its current language could have implications not only for drag queens, who could face jail time for performing in public, but also for concerts, bachelorette parties, and pride parades in the state. —

Joy Ashford, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023 The 10-day celebration includes night parades, ice canoe racing, musical performances, and activities like snow bathing and tobogganing. —

Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2023 Narvaez, who lives in Cicero, attends the parade with her family every few years. —

Ilana Arougheti, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023 The parade will feature carriages adorned in each country’s flag colors. —

Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023 Paul Landis, now 88, was assigned to the security detail of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, and was traveling with the motorcade when the then-president was struck by two bullets — one in the head and one in the neck — while riding in a parade through downtown Dallas. —

Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023

Verb

The suspects were first paraded to the media by police before being charged to court. —

Nimi Princewill, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023 Last November, Kelly pled guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building, and he was sentenced to two months in jail, court records state. —

Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 Ultimately resulting in a Superbowl win and parade through the beautiful streets of Buffalo. —

Daniel Kohn, Spin, 6 Sep. 2023 Corgis paraded outside Buckingham Palace in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II. —

USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 When: 5 to 11 p.m. Friday Where: Los Angeles City Hall and Gloria Molina Grand Park Admission: Free (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Central American Independence Day Festival: The Central American Festival Committee will host its annual festival and parade this weekend. —

Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023 The street closes to through traffic from Thursdays through Saturday nights, meaning lots of people parading up and down the street in search of cheap drinks, entertainment, and that late-night slice of pizza. —

Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2023 Ramaswamy and Kennedy aren’t the first would-be candidates unprepared for the campaign spotlight whom rent-seeking political advisors and other shills have paraded past the fans. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023 King and other civil rights leaders had been arrested in Birmingham in April and jailed for parading without a permit. —

Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, "show, display (of an object to demonstrate its value), show of military force, cavalry procession," going back to Middle French, from parer "to prepare, adorn, dress (a person) with care" (going back to Old French) + -ade -ade — more at pare

Verb

derivative of parade entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of parade was in 1649

See more words from the same year