pomp and circumstance

noun

A display of ceremonial grandeur.

“The pomp and circumstance of the Queen’s coronation.”

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Meanings

nounpomp and circumstance (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA display of ceremonial grandeur.

    The pomp and circumstance of the Queen’s coronation.

    4 more examples

    Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!

    c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]

    Complete with a ribbon cutting and plenty of pomp and circumstance, the opening was attended by 100 to 200 people, most of them Canadian mathematicians.

    1992, Notices of the American Mathematical Society, American Mathematical Society, page 565

    This was pomp and circumstance beyond anything she had expected and she knew she was up next.

    2007, Mike Mullane, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, page 194

    And you know that Gretchen is the woman I love and intend to marry, and she has her heart set on a big wedding with lots of pomp and circumstance.

    2015, Jessica Clare, The Taming of the Billionaire, page 108

Translations

Dutch pracht en praal
  • pracht en praalceremonial grandeur
French en grande pompe
  • en grande pompeceremonial grandeur
German Glanz und Gloria, Schaugepränge
  • Glanz und Gloriaceremonial grandeur
  • Schaugeprängeceremonial grandeur
  • Pomp und Zeremonienceremonial grandeur
  • Pomp und Prunkceremonial grandeur
  • Pracht und Herrlichkeitceremonial grandeur
Icelandic pomp og prakt
  • pomp og praktceremonial grandeur
Norwegian Bokmål pomp og prakt
  • pomp og praktceremonial grandeur
Swedish pompa och ståt
  • pompa och ståtceremonial grandeur
Welsh rhwysg a rhodres
  • rhwysg a rhodresceremonial grandeur
Cite this entry
APA

pomp and circumstance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pomp%20and%20circumstance

MLA

“pomp and circumstance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pomp%20and%20circumstance. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pomp and circumstance,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pomp%20and%20circumstance.

Source: pomp and circumstance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.