panoply

American  

[pan-uh-plee] / ˈpæn ə pli /

noun

• panoplies
  plural

1. a wide-ranging and impressive array or display.

   the dazzling panoply of the maharaja's procession; the panoply of European history.

2. a complete suit of armor.

3. a protective covering.

4. full ceremonial attire or paraphernalia; special dress and equipment.

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panoply British  

/ ˈpænəplɪ /

noun

1. a complete or magnificent array

2. the entire equipment of a warrior

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• panoplied
  adjective
• unpanoplied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• panoplies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of panoply

1570–80; < Greek panoplía full complement of arms and armor, equivalent to pan- pan- + ( h ) ópl ( a ) arms, armor ( cf. hoplite) + -ia -ia

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Explanation

A panoply is a collection or an assortment of things. You might be eager to show off your panoply of bobble-head dolls when friends come to your house. An array or display of things is a panoply, so you can show off your panoply of spooky clown paintings, but you can also display a panoply of dance moves or talk about the panoply of flags at the parade — as long as it's a complete or impressive display, it's a true panoply. In ancient Greece, the word was used exclusively to talk about military costumes which were always suits of armor.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

panoply panoplies

The duo studied dusty LPs from Mexico and Colombia and employed a panoply of vintage keyboards to re-create the ghostly sounds of a Latin America that ceased to exist decades ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The drills have deployed a panoply of military hardware -- including tank formations and Russian-made Pantsir air-defence systems -- with over 25,000 troops, said General Omar Mrajah Al Jedid, the officer overseeing the exercises.

From Barron's ● May 17, 2026

Among the current panoply are “prediction markets,” “event contracts” and “event prediction,” perhaps to attract a tech-savvy audience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

That meeting — set for Oct. 28-29 — comes at a time when the Federal Reserve has to decide on monetary policy without the full panoply of government data it would ordinarily rely on.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2025

Indians had expanded their Neolithic revolutions to create a panoply of diverse civilizations across the hemisphere.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

For better or for worse, Turkey became a republic, a midget of a state compared to its former self; all the old panoplies of government were thrown overboard.

From Time Magazine Archive

There are many who have a certain curiosity about the courts, and at the same time a real respect for justice, mingled with amusement at the panoplies and antiquated forms of legal procedure.

From The Man in Court by Frederic DeWitt Wells

With all these panoplies Of gold that filled our Shepherd's heart with joy, Bid Rhesus welcome, as war-friend to Troy.

From The Rhesus of Euripedes by Euripedes

He occupied a painter's large studio, draping it with Oriental tapestry, crowding it with knickknacks and panoplies of weapons: an extravagant luxury,—something like the embarrassment of riches in a plundered caravansary.

From His Excellency the Minister by Henri Roberts

The canker-worms eat the roots, and panoplies eat the people.

From The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

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Related Words

• array

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