Pageant

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæd͡ʒənt/

Definitions

1. A elaborate public spectacle or procession featuring costumed performers, dramatic presentations, or competitions designed for entertainment and display
2. A grand public display or theatrical presentation featuring costumed participants in procession or performance for entertainment and celebration
3. An ornate spectacle or ceremonial exhibition showcasing performers in elaborate costumes through dramatic scenes or competitive events

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that a grand parade once meant a single sheet of writing. In the Middle Ages, the Latin "pagina", meaning a page of a book, was applied to a play within a cycle of religious mystery plays, probably because each play was written on its own sheet or was seen as one page of the sacred story. Medieval English borrowed this as "pagent" in the late 14th century, and the sense was first a stage or wagon on which a scene was performed. The idea of a moving platform explains how the meaning grew. Mystery plays were staged on wagons that rolled through town from one station to the next, so the word shifted from the play itself to the vehicle that carried it. From there it widened to any elaborate public display, from processions and tableaux to beauty contests, which is why a modern pageant can be almost anything grand and staged.

Synonyms: spectacle, exhibition, show, display, performance

Antonyms: ordinariness, simplicity, commonplace, unremarkability, mediocrity