Word.ws English Dictionary

parade

/pəˈɹeɪd//pəˈrɑd/

parade noun: synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times. Also the ellipsis of programme parade.

parade: synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive...
Image: photo © 2004 by Tomasz Sienicki, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun (1)

parade (countable and uncountable, plural parades)

  1. Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times.
    • There is left round about the circuit of the whole quarter, a parallell on all sides some 200, or 250 foote betweene the front of the quarter and the trench, called an Alarme Place, for the souldiers to draw out into Armes, into Parade, or when any Alarme or commotion happens...1642, Henry Hexham, The Principles of Art Military, volume II, page 31
    • And from thir Ivorie Port the Cherubim
      Forth issuing at th’accustomd hour stood armd
      To thir night watches in warlike Parade,
      When Gabriel to his next in power thus spake...1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
    Synonyms:
    military parade
  2. A public procession, especially one commemorating a holiday or special event or (dated) in protest.
    • They went up with a Parade of 9 or 10 Coaches.1673–4, Duke of Lauderdale, Lauderdale Papers, Vol. III, p. 36
    • When a procession is exceptionally large it is called a Parade.1888, James Bryce, The American Commonwealth, volume II, page 580
  3. (uncommon) Synonym of gaggle: A group of geese when on the move, particularly a line of goslings shepherded by one or more adults.
    Synonyms:
    gaggle
  4. (uncommon) Synonym of herd: A group of elephants when on the move.
    Synonyms:
    herd
  5. (uncommon) Synonym of parade ground: A place specially designated for such displays or for practicing close-order drills.
    • Parade, is a Military word, signifying the Place where Troops usually draw together, in order to mount the Guards, or for any other Service.1704, John Harris, Lexicon Technicum, Vol. I, s.v
    • When Barracks are occupied by Troops, the Yards and Parades are to be swept, rolled, and kept clean by them.1844, The Queen's Regulations & Orders for the Army, page 240
    Synonyms:
    parade ground
  6. (dated) Synonym of promenade: A route, street, or square frequented by pedestrians or formerly used for military parades.
    • This Square is calcled the Parade.1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage round the World, page 219
    • ...at no great distance from them, where the shoreline curved round, and formed a long riband of shade upon the horizon, a series of points of yellow light began to start into existence, denoting the spot to be the site of Budmouth, where the lamps were being lighted along the parade.1874, Thomas Hardy, chapter 47, in Far from the Madding Crowd
    Synonyms:
    promenade
  7. (uncommon) Synonym of road, used in place names.
    • His shop is located in Chester Pde.
    Synonyms:
    road, used in place names
  8. The people who make up such a display, particularly
    • While my mother and sisters decorated our sukkah and cooked meals for the parade of guests who would soon come to visit, my father would walk the streets of our neighborhood, shopping for the "Four Species"2019, Abby Chava Stein, Becoming Eve, Seal Press, page 16
    1. (uncommon) The body of soldiers thus assembled.
      • The Commanding Officer is then to direct the Parade to Order Arms.1844, The Queen's Regulations & Orders for the Army, page 260
    2. The body of promenaders thus assembled.
      • We saw a great Parade or kind of Meeting.1722, Daniel Defoe, The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Col. Jacque..., page 126
      • ‘Did she go into that parade of people?’ said Ingram.1873, William Black, Princess of Thule, page 265
  9. (figuratively) Synonym of show: any similarly orderly or ostentatious display, especially of a variety of people or a series of things paraded around.
    • ...the ravishing assault of a well-disciplined diction, in a parade of curiosly-mustered words in their several ranks and files...1652, Thomas Urquhart, Ecscybalauron (Εκσκυβαλαυρον), p. 282
    • Parade (Fr.), an appearance or shew, a bravado or vaunting offer.1656, Thomas Blount, Glossographia, s.v
    Synonyms:
    show
  10. (UK, figuratively, uncommon) A row of shops beside a street.
    • Most new shopping centres... have broken away from the old strip parades which usually face each other across heavy inter-town traffic.1968, Roger Kenneth Cox, Retail Site Assessment, page 15

Verb

parade (third-person singular simple present parades, present participle parading, simple past and past participle paraded)

  1. (intransitive) To assemble for inspection, to receive orders, etc.
    • ... the other three Companies were ordained by foure a clocke afternoone, to parade in the Market place, and afterwards to march to their Post...1637, Robert Monro, Monro His Expedition with the Worthy Scots Regiment, page 64
    • Hooper had been detailed to inspect the lines. The company was parading at 0730 hours with their kit-bags piled before the huts.1945, Evelyn Waugh, “Prologue”, in Brideshead Revisited […], London: Chapman & Hall, published 1952, →OCLC, page 10
  2. (intransitive) To march impressively or ostentatiously.
    • Here it was we made our camp, within plain view of Stirling Castle, whence we could hear the drums beat as some part of the garrison paraded.1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 26, in Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC
    • No one fights a war in close-order formations any more but officers still love to force their men to parade, coming up with various plausible excuses for their enjoyment of command.
  3. (intransitive, transitive) To march past.
    • After the field show, it is customary to parade the stands before exiting the field.
  4. (intransitive, transitive) To march through or along.
    • “What a delightful place Bath is,” said Mrs. Allen as they sat down near the great clock, after parading the room till they were tired;1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter IV, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], 20 December...
    • At one o’clock the troops were to come in; at two they were to be marshalled; till four they were to parade the parish; […]1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Whitsuntide”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 123
  5. (figuratively, intransitive) Synonym of promenade: to walk up and down, especially in public in order to show off and be seen by others.
    • The whole family paraded it together.1753, Samuel Richardson, History of Sir Charles Grandison, volume V, page 46
    • ... it was her favorite amusement to array herself in the faded brocades, and parade up and down before the long mirror, making stately curtsies, and sweeping her train about with a rustle which delighted her ears.1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 19, in Little Women
    Synonyms:
    flaunt, promenade
  6. (figuratively, intransitive, transitive) To move slowly through or among.
    • That evening the van of the Party for the Poor also paraded our street. They too blared music and made identical claims.1991, Ben Okri, The Famished Road, Section 2, Book 6, Chapter 10
  7. (figuratively, intransitive) To walk in a row led by one parent, often trailed by the other.
    • Nearer to the water pink-footed geese and white-faced coots paraded in the groves of rhus and bamboo.1971, Iris Murdoch, An Accidental Man, page 120
  8. (transitive) To assemble soldiers for inspection, to receive orders, etc.
    • In a few moments, we were paraded in the frigate’s gangway; the first lieutenant—an elderly yellow-faced officer, in an ill-cut coat and tarnished gold lace—coming up, and frowning upon us.1847, Herman Melville, chapter 28, in Omoo
    • The men were paraded and briefly addressed by the colonel in my presence...1965, John Fowles, The Magus, page 382
  9. (figuratively, transitive) Synonym of show off: to display or reveal prominently or ostentatiously, especially in a kind of procession.
    • ... For she was not a sentimental mourner,
      Parading all her sensibility...1824, Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto 16, St. 65, p. 96
    • I doubt if any woman on earth has gotten better effects than she has with black, white and red. Not only that, she knows how to parade it when she gets it on.1942, Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road, page 243
    Synonyms:
    show off
  10. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with a parade or parades.
    • The modern part that faces the sea is... paraded, well lighted, well drained.1889, James John Hissey, A Tour in a Phaeton through the Eastern Counties, page 191

Noun (2)

parade (plural parades)

  1. (uncommon) Synonym of parry in both its literal and figurative senses.
    • ...in case the adversary after a finda, going to the parade, discover his brest to caveat...1652, Thomas Urquhart, Ecscybalauron (Εκσκυβαλαυρον), p. 228
    • [The Tutor] should accustom him to make as much as is possible a true Judgment of Men by those Marks which serve best to shew what they are, and give a Prospect into their Inside, which often shews it self in little Things, especially when they are not in Parade, and upon their Guard.1699, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, §94, p. 152
    Synonyms:
    parry in both its literal and figurative senses

Also used as

parade is also the ellipsis of programme parade.

parade meaning in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and Bengali

parade in Hindi

public procession
परैड paraiḍ, जुलूस julūs

parade in Marathi

public procession
मिरवणूक miravṇūk, परेड pareḍ

parade in Urdu

public procession
پَرَیڈ paraiḍ, دِکھاوا dikhāvā, جُلُوس julūs

parade in Bengali

public procession
প্যারেড pêreḍ
More languagesFewer languages
parade in Telugu
ఊరేగింపు, పెరేడ్
parade in Malayalam
ജാഥ jātha
parade in Punjabi
ਪਰੇਡ, ਪਰੇਡਿੰਗ, ਪਰੇਡ ਕਰਨਾ
parade in Gujarati
પરેડ, પરેડની પરેડ, પરેડિંગ
parade in Odia
ପରେଡ, ପ୍ଯ଼ାରେଡ୍, ପରେଡ୍
parade in Nepali
परेड, परेडिङ, परेड गर्न
parade in Pashto
پرېډ pareḍ, پرېټ pareṭ
parade in Tagalog
parada, patikas
parade in Arabic
اِسْتِعْرَاض istiʕrāḍ, مَوْكِب mawkib
parade in Malay
perbarisan, perarakan
parade in Indonesian
parade
parade in Thai
ขบวนแห่ kà-buuan-hɛ̀ɛ, กระบวน grà-buuan
parade in Vietnamese
sự phô trương
parade in Myanmar
စစ်ရေးပြ cacre:pra.

Examples of parade in a sentence

  • Thanksgiving Day parade
  • The Parade of the Marksmen at the Hanover Schützenfest each July is one of the longest regular parades in the world.
  • The dinner was a parade of courses, each featuring foods more elaborate than the last.
  • They paraded dozens of fashions past the crowd.
  • Claude saw that a good deal was going on, and he lectured his men at parade.1922, Willa Cather, chapter 17, in One of Ours:
  • Verrall... seldom put on his uniform for morning parade, not thinking it necessary with mere Military Policemen.1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], “Ch. 18”, in Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC:

All 40 example sentences with parade

Synonyms of parade

1 more synonymsFewer synonyms
  • parry in both its literal and figurative senses

All synonyms of parade

Forms of parade

Noun
pluralparades
alternative formPde
alternative formparad
Verb
third-person singular presentparades
present participleparading
past participleparaded
pastparaded

Past tense of parade: paraded

Plural of parade: parades

Origin of parade

From French parade (“an ostentatious display, a military display”), from parer (“to beautify, prepare, take pride in”) + -ade probably under influence from earlier Italian parata (“preparation, a military parade, an ostentatious display”) and Latin magnō parātū (“with great preparation”). Various senses similarly influenced by earlier French and Italian uses. Doublet of pare.

From French parade (“a parry”), from parer (“to parry, to defend oneself”) + -ade, from Italian parata. Doublet of parry.

Words formed from parade

Phrases with parade

2 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with parade

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about parade

What does parade mean?
Parade means synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times.
What is parade in Hindi?
Parade in Hindi is परैड (paraiḍ), जुलूस (julūs). See Parade meaning in Hindi.
How do you use parade in a sentence?
Thanksgiving Day parade
What part of speech is parade?
Parade can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce parade?
Parade is pronounced /pəˈɹeɪd/.
What is the plural of parade?
The plural of parade is parades.

Words near parade in the dictionary

  1. paradactyls
  2. paradactylum
  3. paradamite
  4. Paradas
  5. paradata
  6. parade
  7. parade ground
  8. parade grounds
  9. parade lap
  10. parade laps
  11. parade of horribles

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: parade (page history and authors); parade (Telugu, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); parade (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); parade (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); parade (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); parade (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-parade.ogg.

Cite this entry: “parade.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/parade. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.