Meaning & use
cavalcade
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A line of riders, carriages, or cars moving together as part of a ceremony or show.
Grammar: Countable and usually followed by of: a cavalcade of cars.
Patterns
- a cavalcade of something
A cavalcade of black cars followed the president to the airport.
The royal cavalcade passed through the cheering crowds.
A cavalcade of riders in red coats rode through the village.
nouncountablefigurative
A long, colorful series of people, events, or things appearing one after another.
Grammar: Used figuratively with of: a cavalcade of stars.
Patterns
- a cavalcade of something
The show featured a cavalcade of famous guests.
Her speech described a cavalcade of changes in the city.
The film is a cavalcade of costumes and music.
Word forms
| plural | cavalcades |
|---|
Common combinations
- royal cavalcade
- A royal cavalcade moved slowly down the avenue.
- cavalcade of cars
- A cavalcade of cars blocked the main road.
- cavalcade of stars
- The gala brought a cavalcade of stars to the stage.
- cavalcade of horsemen
- A cavalcade of horsemen crossed the field.
- join the cavalcade
- Cyclists joined the cavalcade as it left the town.
Synonyms and how they differ
- procession
- Procession is the common word for any ceremonial walk or ride in order, while cavalcade stresses a grand display of riders or vehicles.
- parade
- Parade suggests a public show with onlookers, but it need not involve moving vehicles or riders.
- motorcade
- Motorcade is limited to a line of cars, while cavalcade may include horses or people.
- convoy
- Convoy implies vehicles traveling together for safety or a practical purpose, not for show.
Word family
Commonly confused: cavalcade or calvary?
cavalcade vs calvary
Calvary is the hill where Jesus was crucified, and it is unrelated to a procession.
Practice
A long ____ of decorated cars drove through town after the wedding.
Choose one answer.
A cavalcade is a line of vehicles or riders moving together. Handful means a small number, and shortage and scatter do not describe organized procession.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cavalcade”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.