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

Founded in the Bay Area in 1965, the organization hosts drag pageants to raise funds for the LGBTQ+ community, namely to help those contending with HIV/AIDS and homelessness. —Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Gómez, 27, was crowned the winner of the 2017 Miss Teen Universe Baja California pageant, per Indigo. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

There's also an asparagus scholarship pageant, blacksmith demonstrations, and train and monster truck rides. —Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026

Dominican Yamilex Hernández, the first Miss Universe Latina, and Vanessa Pulgarín, Miss Universe Colombia 2025, will take part in the inaugural Miss Grand International All Stars pageant, which will be held in Thailand on May 30. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026

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