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.
In addition to the monetary compensation and scholarship awards, pageantry is also helping the girls build confidence and learn key behavioral skills. Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 This year’s storyline involves a royal succession scenario, which suggests pageantry and heated drama. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 Lucky winners will get up to four tickets to primo viewing areas at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn and the South Street Seaport in Manhattan to soak in all the pomp and pageantry of the nation’s 250th birthday. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026 Trump has embraced the pageantry surrounding the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 and increasingly has put himself at the center of it. Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 25 June 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

Cite this Entry

“Pageantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pageantry. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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

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