beauty contest

noun

1
a
: an assemblage of girls or women at which judges select the most beautiful

called also beauty pageant

b
: a contest or competitive situation that is likened to a traditional beauty contest especially in involving judgments made on the basis of physical attractiveness or popular appeal
… an elite automotive expo and beauty contest where cars of only the highest caliber …Hannah Elliott
2
US politics : a presidential primary election in which the popular vote does not determine the number of convention delegates a candidate receives
Mr. Ford and Mr. Reagan are listed in the Republican preferential primary or "beauty contest."Charles Mohr

Examples of beauty contest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That’s something Buss, who entered teenage beauty contests and posed for Playboy in 1995, experienced on a daily basis. Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025 Across the century of the automobile, several of these beauty contests have risen to the fore internationally. New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025 On the other hand, many ardent Chevy Tri-Five folks will posit any number of valid arguments why the original ’55, or ideally proportioned ’56, should take the podium in a Bel Air beauty contest. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024 Still, the case would not have mushroomed into a frenzy without the sudden flood of footage of JonBenét’s child beauty contests. Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for beauty contest

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of beauty contest was in 1879

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Cite this Entry

“Beauty contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty%20contest. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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