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
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
One of Hudson's competitors will be trans model Isabelle St. Cyr.
St. Cyr will be the first openly trans contestant in the pageant's history after previously winning the local Miss Monson USA pageant in the Maine town of Monson.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The day's festivities included a pageant commemorating the land runs of 1889 and 1893.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
The film will delve into the human side of incarceration, following women with complex pasts who discover resilience, hope and camaraderie through an unlikely source, a prison beauty pageant.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
The makeup artist reportedly identifies as gay and works at beauty pageants.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pageant
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.
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The day's festivities included a pageant commemorating the land runs of 1889 and 1893.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
The film will delve into the human side of incarceration, following women with complex pasts who discover resilience, hope and camaraderie through an unlikely source, a prison beauty pageant.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
The makeup artist reportedly identifies as gay and works at beauty pageants.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pageant
Cite this Entry
“Pageant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pageant. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pageant
noun
pag·eant
ˈpaj-ənt 
1
: an impressive exhibition or spectacle
2
: an entertainment consisting of scenes based on history or legend
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share