pomp and circumstance

English

Noun

pomp and circumstance (uncountable)

1. A display of ceremonial grandeur.
   • 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]:

     Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!

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

     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.

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

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

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

     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.

Translations

ceremonial grandeur

• Dutch: pracht en praal (nl)
• French: en grande pompe (fr) m
• Icelandic: pomp og prakt m
• Swedish: pompa och ståt