pomp
n.n. a showy, formal way of doing things that makes people feel important. It often involves a lot of ceremony and expensive clothes.
n. a showy or elaborate display of ceremony, dignity, or importance. Often carries a negative connotation of being overly formal or pretentious.
The ceremony was full of pomp and ceremony.
The president's arrival at the summit was marked by a great deal of pomp, including a military parade and a formal welcome speech.
While the historical significance of the event was undeniable, the sheer amount of pomp and ceremony seemed designed more to impress the media than to honor the occasion itself.
The noun is derived from Middle English pomp, pompe, from Old French pompe, from Latin pompa (“pomp”), from Ancient Greek πομπή (pompḗ, “a sending, a solemn procession, pomp”), from πέμπω (pémpō, “I send”). The verb is derived from Middle English pompen, from pomp, pompe (see above).
From Middle English pompen. Possibly an alteration of pampen (English pamp), from Middle Low German pampen (“to pamper oneself, live luxuriously”), from Old Saxon pampōn, from Proto-Germanic pampōną (“to swell”), from Proto-Indo-European *bamb- (“round object”).