From French parade, from parer ("to beautify, prepare, take pride in") + -ade probably under influence from earlier Italian parata and Latin magnō parātū ("with great preparation").

• enPR: pə-rād', IPA: /pəˈɹeɪd/

parade

1. An organized display of a group of people, particularly
   1. (military) 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.
      • 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 as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗, lines 779-782:

        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...

      • 1681, Andrew Marvell, “Upon Appleton House...”, Miscellaneous Poems ↗, p. 87, St. 39:

        See how the Flow’rs, as at Parade,
        Under their Colours stand displaid:
        Each Regiment in order grows,
        That of the Tulip Pinke and Rose.

      • 1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], “Ch. 18 ↗”, in Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC ↗:

        Verrall... seldom put on his uniform for morning parade, not thinking it necessary with mere Military Policemen.

      • 1941, George Orwell, The Lion and the Unicorn, Pt. I:

        A military parade is really a kind of ritual dance, something like a ballet, expressing a certain philosophy of life. The goose-step, for instance, is one of the most horrible sights in the world, far more terrifying than a dive-bomber. It is simply an affirmation of naked power; contained in it, quite consciously and intentionally, is the vision of a boot crashing down on a face. Its ugliness is part of its essence...

   2. A public procession, especially one commemorating a holiday or special event or (dated) in protest.
      • 1673–4, Duke of Lauderdale, Lauderdale Papers, Vol. III, p. 36:

        They went up with a Parade of 9 or 10 Coaches.

      • 1888, James Bryce, The American Commonwealth, volume II, page 580:

        When a procession is exceptionally large it is called a Parade.

      • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, “CHAPTER 27 ↗”, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC ↗:

        The strikers had announced a parade for Tuesday morning, but Colonel Nixon had forbidden it, the newspapers said.

      • 1995, Nancy J. Herman, Deviance‎, page 388:

        The author became aware of the term "beadwhore" while viewing a Mardi Gras parade […] You can't catch anything with those beadwhores around. Even cute kids on the shoulders of their fathers can't compete with boobs.

      Thanksgiving Day parade

      Mummers Parade

      ticker-tape parade

      The Parade of the Marksmen at the Hanover Schützenfest each July is one of the longest regular parades in the world.

   3. (venery, uncommon) Synonym of gaggle: A group of geese when on the move, particularly a line of goslings shepherded by one or more adults.
   4. (venery, uncommon) Synonym of herd: A group of elephants when on the move.
2. A place reserved for such displays, particularly
   1. (military, now uncommon) Synonym of parade ground: A place specially designated for such displays or for practicing close-order drills.
      • 1704, John Harris, Lexicon Technicum, Vol. I, s.v:

        Parade, is a Military word, signifying the Place where Troops usually draw together, in order to mount the Guards, or for any other Service.

      • 1844, The Queen's Regulations & Orders for the Army, page 240:

        When Barracks are occupied by Troops, the Yards and Parades are to be swept, rolled, and kept clean by them.

   2. (dated) Synonym of promenade: A route, street, or square frequented by pedestrians or formerly used for military parades.
      • 1874, Thomas Hardy, chapter 47, in Far from the Madding Crowd‎:

        ...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.

      • 1905 March 28, Daily Chronicle, p. 4:

        Glasgow's most fashionable Sunday parade, the ‘crawl’ on Great Western-road.

      • 1914, G. K. Chesterton, “The God of the Gongs”, in The Wisdom of Father Brown, p. 216:

        After walking a mile or two farther, they found that the shore was beginning to be formally embanked, so as to form something like a parade; the ugly lamp-posts became less few and far between and more ornamental, though quite equally ugly.

   3. (uncommon) Synonym of road, used in place names.

      His shop is located in Chester Pde.

3. The people who make up such a display, particularly
   1. (military, now uncommon) The body of soldiers thus assembled.
      • 1844, The Queen's Regulations & Orders for the Army, page 260:

        The Commanding Officer is then to direct the Parade to Order Arms.

   2. The body of promenaders thus assembled.
      • 1722, Daniel Defoe, The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Col. Jacque..., page 126:

        We saw a great Parade or kind of Meeting.

      • 1873, William Black, Princess of Thule, page 265:

        ‘Did she go into that parade of people?’ said Ingram.

4. (figurative) Synonym of show: any similarly orderly or ostentatious display, especially of a variety of people or a series of things paraded around.
   • 1652, Thomas Urquhart, Ecscybalauron (Εκσκυβαλαυρον) ↗, p. 282:

     ...the ravishing assault of a well-disciplined diction, in a parade of curiosly-mustered words in their several ranks and files...

   • 1656, Thomas Blount, Glossographia‎, s.v:

     Parade (Fr.), an appearance or shew, a bravado or vaunting offer.

   • 1661, Abraham Cowley, A Vision Concerning His Late Pretended Highnesse Cromwell the Wicked, page 58:

     ...the most virtuous and laudable deed that his whole Life could make any parade of...

   • 1801, Jonathan Swift, untitled poem, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, volume II, page 420:

     Be rich, but of your Wealth make no Parade;
     At least, before your Master’s Debts are paid.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, Canto XXI, page 35 ↗:

     Another answers, ‘Let him be,
     ⁠He loves to make parade of pain,
     ⁠That with his piping he may gain
     The praise that comes to constancy.’

   • 2008 November 21, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 3, Episode 1:

     Roy: The work was fiiine. There was nothing wrong with the work. But they caught him... He pissed in the sink.
     Jen: Oh. Oh!
     Roy: Yeah...
     Jen: Which sink?
     Roy: All the sinks. Yeah, he basically went on a pee parade around the house.
     Jen: Oh God, I have to fire him.

   The dinner was a parade of courses, each featuring foods more elaborate than the last.
5. (UK, figurative, uncommon) A row of shops beside a street.
   • 1968, Roger Kenneth Cox, Retail Site Assessment, page 15:

     Most new shopping centres... have broken away from the old strip parades which usually face each other across heavy inter-town traffic.

6. (UK, figurative, now uncommon) Short for programme parade: a description of the programming schedule formerly announced on the radio and various television channels.
   • 1947 May 2, Radio Times, p. 8:

     Scottish Programme Parade

   • 1948, BBC West, Broadcasting in West::

     Listen to your regional Programme Parade at 8.10 a.m. daily.

• French: parade, défilé
• German: Parade, Aufmarsch, Umzug
• Italian: parata, sfilata
• Portuguese: parada, desfile
• Russian: пара́д
• Spanish: desfile

• French: défilé, étalage
• German: Folge, Abfolge
• Spanish: desfile

parade (parades, present participle parading; simple past and past participle paraded)

1. (intransitive) To take part in a parade, particularly
   1. To assemble for inspection, to receive orders, etc.
      • 1945, Evelyn Waugh, “Prologue”, in Brideshead Revisited […], 3rd edition, London: Chapman & Hall, →OCLC ↗, page 10 ↗:

        Hooper had been detailed to inspect the lines. The company was parading at 0730 hours with their kit-bags piled before the huts.

   2. To march impressively or ostentatiously.
      • 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 ↗:

        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.

      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. (transitive) To march past.

      After the field show, it is customary to parade the stands before exiting the field.

   4. (transitive) To march through or along.
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        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 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC ↗:

        “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;

      • 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter 16, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC ↗:

        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...

      • 1904 January 29 – October 7, Joseph Conrad, Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard, London, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], published 1904, →OCLC ↗:

        ... since it was no longer possible for him to parade the streets of the town, and be hailed with respect in the usual haunts of his leisure, this sailor felt himself destitute indeed.

   5. (figurative) Synonym of promenade: to walk up and down, especially in public in order to show off and be seen by others.
      • 1753, Samuel Richardson, History of Sir Charles Grandison, volume V, page 46:

        The whole family paraded it together.

      • 1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 19, in Little Women‎:

        ... 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.

      • 1969, Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings‎, page 166:

        ... Mrs. Parsons, the principal’s wife, would play the graduation march while the lower-grade graduates paraded down the aisles and took their seats below the platform.

      • 2003, Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin‎, page 381:

        Stretcher after stretcher paraded into the lot—I was aghast; there seemed no end to them.

   6. (transitive, figurative, of vehicles) To move slowly through or among.
      • 1991, Ben Okri, The Famished Road, Section 2, Book 6, Chapter 10 ↗:

        That evening the van of the Party for the Poor also paraded our street. They too blared music and made identical claims.

   7. (figurative, of waterfowl) To walk in a row led by one parent, often trailed by the other.
2. (transitive) To cause to take part in a parade, particularly
   1. To assemble soldiers for inspection, to receive orders, etc.
      • 1965, John Fowles, The Magus‎, page 382:

        The men were paraded and briefly addressed by the colonel in my presence...

   2. (figurative) Synonym of show off: to display or reveal prominently or ostentatiously, especially in a kind of procession.
      • 1824, Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto 16, St. 65, p. 96 ↗:

        ... For she was not a sentimental mourner,
        Parading all her sensibility...

      • 1942, Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road‎, page 243:

        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.

      • 1956, Mary Renault, The Last of the Wine‎, page 150:

        [...] I am sure neither of us cares to parade family business in a lawsuit.

      • 1988, Edmund White, The Beautiful Room Is Empty‎, pages 166–167:

        I felt a bit like a hunter who’s captured a unicorn and parades it through the town streets [...]

      • 2009, Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna‎, page 452:

        They’re parading ad men through Congress to convince the lawmakers that Free Market is the way to go, and that Harry Truman is in league with Karl Marx.

      • 2013, Nadeem Aslam, The Blind Man's Garden, Part 2, Ch. 23 ↗:

        They kidnapped an Indian officer and beheaded him, bringing the head back to be paraded in the bazaars of Kotlin in Pakistani Kashmir.

      They paraded dozens of fashions past the crowd.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To furnish with a parade or parades.
   • 1889, James John Hissey, A Tour in a Phaeton through the Eastern Counties, page 191:

     The modern part that faces the sea is... paraded, well lighted, well drained.

From French parade, from parer ("to parry, to defend oneself") + -ade, from Italian parata.

• (America) IPA: /pəˈrɑd/
• (RP) IPA: /pəˈrɑːd/

parade (plural parades)

1. (uncommon) Synonym of parry in both its literal and figurative senses.
   • 1652, Thomas Urquhart, Ecscybalauron (Εκσκυβαλαυρον) ↗, p. 228:

     ...in case the adversary after a finda, going to the parade, discover his brest to caveat...

   • 1699, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, §94, p. 152:

     [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.