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
The 73rd Miss Universe competition brought dazzling outfits, inspiring stories and a new chapter in pageant history with the debuts of Miss Universe UAE, Miss Universe Bahrain, Miss Universe Eritrea, Miss Universe Guinea, Miss Universe Macau and Miss Universe Maldives, to name a few.
—
Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2024
Of the cast, Judy Greer stands out as the flustered but patient substitute pageant director and mom who learns to raise her voice in support of the kids the church wants to avoid and leave behind.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
The child beauty pageant queen had duct tape over her mouth and a garrote twisted around her neck.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Here are the loglines for each 2024 recipient’s script:
Alysha Chan and David Zarif (Los Angeles), Miss Chinatown
Jackie Yee follows in her mother’s footsteps on her quest to win the Los Angeles Miss Chinatown pageant.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pageant 
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Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2024
Of the cast, Judy Greer stands out as the flustered but patient substitute pageant director and mom who learns to raise her voice in support of the kids the church wants to avoid and leave behind.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
The child beauty pageant queen had duct tape over her mouth and a garrote twisted around her neck.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Here are the loglines for each 2024 recipient’s script:
Alysha Chan and David Zarif (Los Angeles), Miss Chinatown
Jackie Yee follows in her mother’s footsteps on her quest to win the Los Angeles Miss Chinatown pageant.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pageant
Dictionary Entries Near pageant
Cite this Entry
“Pageant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pageant. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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
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