Pomp Was a Procession Before It Was a Display
Pomp is ceremonial splendour. The Greek word behind it named a parade.
Pomp is ceremonial splendour, especially of a stately or official kind. Greek *pompē* meant a sending, then a solemn procession, from *pempein*, to send. The word named the parade itself before it named the grandeur, which is why *pomp and circumstance* originally described an actual march with all its trappings. The phrase comes from Shakespeare's *Othello*, where it lists the ceremony of war, and Elgar borrowed it for his marches three centuries later.
- Ceremonial splendour. *All the pomp of a coronation.*
- A procession (archaic). *A pomp.*
- Pompous — self-important. *Pompous.*
- Pomp and circumstance. *Pomp and circumstance.*
- Greek — *pompē*, a procession. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pomp | Pomp. |
| Adjective | pompous | Pompous. |
| Noun | pomposity | Pomposity. |
| Greek | pompē | A procession. |
| Greek | pempein | To send. |
- The ceremony had great pomp.Splendour.
- Pompe meant a procession.Etymology.
- Pomp and Circumstance.Music.
Where the phrase comes from
- Shakespeare's Othello lists the pomp and circumstance of glorious war
- Circumstance there means the trappings surrounding an event
- Elgar used the phrase for a set of marches from 1901
- The first march became Land of Hope and Glory
- American graduations play it almost universally
Old French *pompe*, from Latin *pompa*, from Greek *pompē*, a procession, from *pempein*, to send.
What does pomp literally mean?
A sending or procession. It named the parade before it named the splendour of one.
Where does pomp and circumstance come from?
From Shakespeare's Othello, where circumstance means the trappings around an event. Elgar took it for his marches.