Pageantry
/ˈpædʒ.ən.tri/noun
Elaborate ceremony or splendid public display, often with costumes and formal ritual.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Latin root as *page*, so what we call “pageantry” began as something like a structured public showing—proof that spectacle has always been a tool of authority.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pagina
“A written page or leaf of a book; also a board or plank.”
Old French
OF
page
“A page, leaf, or sheet; later, a young servant at court.”
Middle English
ME
pageant
“A stage, platform, or showy public spectacle, especially in a procession.”
Late Middle English
ME
pageantry
“The display, splendor, or elaborate staging of a pageant.”
Modern English
English
pageantry
“Rich ceremonial display or pomp.”