plural parades
1
: a public celebration of a special day or event that usually includes many people and groups moving down a street by marching or riding in cars or on special vehicles (called floats)
the annual Thanksgiving Day parade
After the team won the championship, the city threw/had a parade for them.
The town will put on a parade.
The marching band lined up for the homecoming parade.
the parade route
2
: a military ceremony in which soldiers march or stand in lines so that they can be examined by officers or other important people
3
: a long series of people or things that come one after the other
—usually singular —usually + of
We had a parade of visitors this morning. [=we had many visitors this morning]
The prosecution called a parade of witnesses to the stand.
We watched a parade of cars go by our house on the way to the stadium for the game.
4
British
: a street with a row of small shops
a shopping parade
parades; paraded; parading
1
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to walk or march together in public especially as a way of celebrating or protesting something
The team and its fans paraded down the street.
Protesters paraded in front of City Hall.
2
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to walk in a way that attracts attention
The models paraded up and down the runway.
She paraded around on the beach in her bikini.
3
: to force (someone) to walk or march in public
The victors paraded the prisoners through the streets.
4
of soldiers
: to march in lines in order to be examined by officers or other important people
The soldiers paraded past the generals.
The soldiers were paraded past the generals.
5
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to show or present (someone or something) proudly or in a way that attracts attention
They don't like having their personal problems paraded in print for everyone to see.
6
disapproving
: to be falsely presented as something good
—+ as
The book is just propaganda parading as literature.
—usually used as (be) paradedlies being paraded as the truth
Cite this Entry
“Parade.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/parade. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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