parade

[puh-reyd]

noun

1. a large public procession, usually including a marching band and often of a festive nature, held in honor of an anniversary, person, event, etc.

2. a military ceremony involving the formation and marching of troop units, often combined with saluting the lowering of the flag at the end of the day.

3. the assembly of troops for inspection or display.

4. a place where troops regularly assemble for inspection or display.

5. a continual passing by, as of people, objects, or events.

   the parade of pedestrians past the office; the parade of the seasons.

6. an ostentatious display.

   to make a parade of one's religious beliefs.

7. Chiefly British.

   1. a group or procession of promenaders.

   2. a promenade.

8. Fortification.,  the level space forming the interior or enclosed area of a fortification.

9. Fencing.,  a parry.

verb (used with object)

paraded, parading 

1. to walk up and down on or in.

2. to make parade of; display ostentatiously.

   Synonyms: flourish, flaunt, show
   Antonyms: conceal

3. to cause to march or proceed for display.

verb (used without object)

paraded, parading 

1. to march in a procession.

2. to promenade in a public place, especially in order to show off.

3. to assemble in military order for display.

4. to assume a false or misleading appearance.

   international pressure that parades as foreign aid.

parade

/ pəˈreɪd /

noun

1. an ordered, esp ceremonial, march, assembly, or procession, as of troops being reviewed

   on parade

2. Also called: parade ground. a place where military formations regularly assemble

3. a visible show or display

   to make a parade of one's grief

4. a public promenade or street of shops

5. a successive display of things or people

6. the interior area of a fortification

7. a parry in fencing

8. to hinder someone's enjoyment; upset someone's plans

9. 1. on display

   2. showing oneself off

verb

1. to walk or march, esp in a procession (through)

   to parade the streets

2. (tr) to exhibit or flaunt

   he was parading his medals

3. (tr) to cause to assemble in formation, as for a military parade

4. (intr) to walk about in a public place

Other Word Forms

• paradeful adjective
• paradeless adjective
• paradelike adjective
• parader noun
• paradingly adverb
• unparaded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parade¹

1650–60; < French, Middle French < Spanish parada a stop, stopping place, noun use of feminine of parado, past participle of parar to stop, end < Latin parāre to set. See compare, parry, -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of parade¹

C17: from French: a making ready, a setting out, a boasting display; compare Italian parata, Spanish parada, all ultimately from Latin parāre to prepare

Idioms and Phrases

see hit parade; rain on one's parade.

Example Sentences

On Wednesday, Khan will bring top-tier professional boxing to Nigeria for the first time on the country's Independence Day, when the streets of Lagos will be alive with parades, music and national pride.

From BBC

The parade of dump trucks carting out tons of wreckage buckled the streets; repaving operations continue today.

From Los Angeles Times

In the past, the militia has mainly been used to boost numbers at political rallies and parades.

From BBC

For the encore, they cleared the perimeter of the stadium floor and drove around on giant, telescoping platforms, trailed by inflatable characters, like they were in a Macy's Day parade.

From BBC

Earlier this month Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Kim at a military parade in Beijing alongside Russia's Vladimir Putin and, unlike in past meetings, China did not publicly mention the North's nuclear weapons or denuclearisation.

From BBC

Related Words

• brandish 
• demonstrate 
• flash 
• prance 
• strut 
• swagger 
• trot out