What does pageantry mean?
Word: Pageantry
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Pageantry means the grand, colourful show of a special public event, with costumes, music, flags and processions.
Synonyms: spectacle, splendour, pomp
Word origin: Formed in English from pageant (Middle English pagyn), with the ending -ry.
How do you spell pageantry?
Syllables: pag - eant - ry
Tricky part: Many children slip an extra vowel in near the end and write -ary or -ery. The word ends in just r and y, straight after the t.
Watch out for: pageantary, pageantery
Memory tip: Finish with a quick 'try': the t, r and y sit side by side, with no vowel squeezed in between.
Pageantry in a sentence
Example 1: The Olympic opening ceremony is famous around the world for its pageantry.
Example 2: My grandfather still remembers the pageantry of the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.
Example 3: Some people love the pageantry of a big parade, while others prefer a quiet picnic.
Fun Fact
Long ago a pageant could mean the wheeled wagon that served as a stage for a street play, not only the show acted on it.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
pa___ntry
a) gee
b) gea
c) gae
d) jea
Show answer
b) gea. The g is soft here, and the e straight after it is what keeps it soft before the a.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) pageant : pageantry
b) jewel : jewellery
c) machine : machinary
d) rival : rivalry
Show answer
c) machine : machinary. Machinery keeps the e of machine; the other three pairs are spelt correctly.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. pageantry 2. carpentry 3. ancestry a. the splendid show put on for a royal wedding or a national parade b. the family line that a person comes from c. the work of making and repairing wooden things
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. All three end in the same letters, but only one names a grand display; carpentry is woodwork and ancestry is your family line.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would add the most pageantry to a school's prize-giving?
a) a longer lunch break for the teachers
b) new chairs for the staff room
c) an extra hour of maths revision
d) a march-past by the school band in full uniform
Show answer
d) a march-past by the school band in full uniform
2. Oscar said the sports day had 'plenty of pageantry but too few races'. What did he mean?
a) There were too many races for one day.
b) Hardly anyone came along to watch the races.
c) The races went on for longer than usual.
d) There was more showy display than actual sport.
Show answer
d) There was more showy display than actual sport.
