1
: a show of magnificence : splendor
every day begins … in a pomp of flaming coloursF. D. Ommanney
2
: a ceremonial or festival display (such as a train of followers or a pageant)
3
a
: ostentatious display : vainglory
b
: an ostentatious gesture or act

Examples of pomp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The event is high on pomp and ceremony, and also on control: Traffic is rerouted and security is dramatically tightened. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 And for centuries the fork remained suspect in Europe, as the effete accessory of aristocrats; as late as the 17th century, Louis XIV, amid the pomp of Versailles, is said to have insisted on grabbing food — off a gold plate — with his fingers. Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The Super Bowl will have a kickoff time of 6:30 p.m. ET, although with the pomp and pageantry of the event, that has a margin of error of a few minutes. Gabe Zaldivar, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 In their pomp, both enjoyed wide popularity throughout India, cutting across barriers of class, gender, religion, and region, although—as so often with leaders who stay on too long—their last years in office were marked by political misjudgments that eroded their standing. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Whereas the British like to go big on the pomp and pageantry, invoking ancient symbols of power, the Danes seem to take a more businesslike approach. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024 Which meant that underneath all that royal pomp, Harry ended up being a fairly conventional dating show—and a surprisingly boring one. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023 For Payne, a young journalist for the Dallas newspaper, the day started without much pomp. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024 Christian arrived as second in line to the Danish throne behind his father, and his 18th birthday in October was marked with plenty of royal pomp befitting a future King. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pomp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French pompe, from Latin pompa procession, pomp, from Greek pompē act of sending, escort, procession, pomp, from pempein to send

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pomp was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pomp

Cite this Entry

“Pomp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pomp. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pomp

noun
1
: a show of magnificence : splendor
the pomp of a royal ceremony
2
: showy display

More from Merriam-Webster on pomp

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