Pageantry

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæd͡ʒəntɹi/

Definitions

1. An elaborate display of ceremony, spectacle, and colorful costumes designed for visual effect and entertainment
2. splendid and ostentatious display involving elaborate costumes, ceremonial procedures, and visual spectacle intended to impress or entertain
3. ornate ceremonial exhibition featuring rich visual elements, formal procedures, and colorful dress meant to create striking aesthetic impact

Etymology: Pageantry is a straightforward formation: the noun "pageant" with the suffix "-ry", which English uses to form nouns of collective or characteristic quality, as in "machinery" or "jewelry." The suffix itself travelled a long road, passing from Latin "-arius" through Old French "-erie" into Middle English "-rie" and "-ry," so the ending carries an ancient pedigree even though the combination is English-made. The base word "pageant" is the older and more interesting part. In medieval English it referred to a movable stage or wagon used in religious drama, the platform on which a scene was performed before moving on to the next location in a town. The meaning of the word then broadened from the vehicle to the performance itself, and eventually to any elaborate public spectacle. Pageantry, then, names the quality of such display: the costumes, processions, and ceremony that make an event visually striking. The word moved from describing a physical stage to describing the grandeur staged upon it.

Synonyms: spectacle, ceremony, display, show, exhibition

Antonyms: plainness, simplicity, ordinariness