Parade Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms parade American [puh-reyd] / pəˈreɪd /

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 British / 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 parade Idioms

1. see hit parade; rain on one's parade.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of parade

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“People camping out New Year’s Eve for the parade will probably get a little bit wet,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

"The strike was conducted at a location where, historically, you have the bandits and the Lakurawa parading around that axis," Bwala said.

From Barron's

From gigantic dinosaur footprints frozen in stone to a spectacular parade of planets, science in 2025 delivered moments of real awe.

From BBC

Others note that it’s never the repentant Grinch who marauds through schools and holiday parades or blows up on social media.

From Los Angeles Times

Every March 27 he oversees a parade of troops and materiel in the capital Naypyidaw for Armed Forces Day, standing on an open-top jeep and festooned with his many military and civilian awards.

From Barron's

Related Words

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.