pageantry

noun

pag·​eant·​ry ˈpa-jən-trē How to pronounce pageantry (audio)
Synonyms of pageantrynext
1
: pageants and the presentation of pageants
2
: colorful, rich, or splendid display : spectacle
3
: mere show : empty display

Examples of pageantry in a Sentence

I like the tradition and pageantry that come with graduations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sights, sounds and pageantry that make up college football can come to life at the corner of 95th Street and King Drive. — Monique Carroll, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 In the very human-scale role of Chef, all that glamour and pageantry seethes just beneath the skin. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 Since then, the former beauty queen has retired from pageantry after becoming the first Canadian woman to win all four major national titles — Miss Universe Canada, Miss World Canada, Miss International Canada and Miss Earth Canada. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 July followed with Wimbledon, Tour de France and World Cup pageantry. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pageantry

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pageantry was in 1609

Browse Nearby Words

pageanteer
pageantry
page boy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pageantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pageantry. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pageantry

noun
pag·​eant·​ry ˈpaj-ən-trē How to pronounce pageantry (audio)
plural pageantries
1
: pageants and the presentation of pageants
2
: splendid display

More from Merriam-Webster on pageantry

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pageantry

Nglish: Translation of pageantry for Spanish Speakers

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