Pride

¹

[ prahyd ]

noun

1. recognition of LGBTQ identity, affirmation of equal rights, and celebration of visibility, dignity, and diversity in the LGBTQ community (formerly referred to as Gay Pride ):

   The primary mission of our new student organization is Pride.

2. events or organizations that celebrate the LGBTQ community and its members (often used attributively): LGBT people of color are celebrating Black and Latinx Pride this June.

   Pride was extra special the first year I was out.

   LGBT people of color are celebrating Black and Latinx Pride this June.

   Have you ever been to the Pride parade in NYC?

Pride

²

[ prahyd ]

noun

1. Thomas, died 1658, English soldier and regicide.

pride

³

[ prahyd ]

noun

1. a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

   Antonyms: humility

2. the state or feeling of being proud.
3. a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
4. pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself:

   civic pride.

5. celebration of a specific minority group and affirmation of equal rights for members of that community: Puerto Rican pride. Pride ¹.

   Black pride;

   Puerto Rican pride.

6. something that causes a person or persons to be proud:

   His art collection was the pride of the family.

   Synonyms: boast

7. the best of a group, class, society, etc.:

   This bull is the pride of the herd.

8. the most flourishing state or period:

   in the pride of adulthood.

9. mettle in a horse.
10. Literary. splendor, magnificence, or pomp.
11. a group of lions.
12. sexual desire, especially in a female animal.
13. ornament or adornment.

verb (used with object)

, prid·ed, prid·ing.

1. to indulge or plume (oneself ) in a feeling of pride (usually followed by on or upon ):

   She prides herself on her tennis.

Pride

¹

/ praɪd /

noun

1. PrideThomas1658MEnglishMILITARY: soldier Thomas. died 1658, English soldier on the Parliamentary side during the Civil War. He expelled members of the Long Parliament hostile to the army ( Pride's Purge, 1648) and signed Charles I's death warrant

pride

²

/ praɪd /

noun

1. a feeling of honour and self-respect; a sense of personal worth
2. excessive self-esteem; conceit
3. a source of pride
4. satisfaction or pleasure taken in one's own or another's success, achievements, etc (esp in the phrase take ( a ) pride in )
5. the better or most superior part of something; flower
6. the most flourishing time
7. a group (of lions)
8. the mettle of a horse; courage; spirit
9. archaic.
   sexual desire, esp in a female animal
10. archaic.
    display, pomp, or splendour
11. pride of place
    the most important position

verb

1. tr; foll by on or upon to take pride in (oneself) for
2. intr to glory or revel (in)

Sensitive Note

The precursors to Pride as we know it today were the Gay Liberation Movement marches of the 1970s in New York City. The first of these took place in June of 1970 with demonstrators marching up Avenue of the Americas chanting, “Say it loud, gay is proud!” By 1973 the annual march in June was the final event of a celebration becoming known as Gay Pride Week. Over the next 30 years, Pride events grew and flourished in many cities, and the term Gay Pride was often understood to be inclusive of the entire LGBTQ community. However, in the 2000s, activists began to question whether using Gay Pride as an umbrella term constituted erasure of lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, or other identities in the LGBTQ community. Increasingly, Gay Pride was replaced with LGBT Pride or LGBTQ Pride . And, by 2020, the celebrations and the movement as a whole were often referred to as simply Pride .

Derived Forms

• ˈpridefully, adverb
• ˈprideful, adjective

Other Words From

• pride·ful adjective
• pride·less adjective
• pride·less·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pride¹

First recorded in 1975–80; pride ( def ) (in the sense “celebration of a specific minority group and affirmation of equal rights for members of that community”)

Origin of Pride²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun prid, pride, pritte, from Old English prȳde, prȳte (cognate with Old Norse prȳthi “bravery, pomp”), derivative of prūd proud

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pride¹

Old English prӯda; related to Latin prodesse to be useful, Old Norse prūthr stately; see proud

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pride and joy, someone or something cherished, valued, or enjoyed above all others:

   Their new grandchild is their pride and joy.

More idioms and phrases containing Pride

• burst with (pride)
• swallow one's pride

Synonym Study

Pride, conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vainglory imply an unduly favorable idea of one's own appearance, advantages, achievements, etc., and often apply to offensive characteristics. Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall. Conceit implies an exaggerated estimate of one's own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. Self-esteem may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than that held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem. Egotism implies an excessive preoccupation with oneself or with one's own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others' difficulties. Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others: His vanity was easily flattered. Vainglory, somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vainglory.

Example Sentences

“F**king Rocky is your hero. The whole pride of your city is built around a f**king guy who doesn’t even exist. You got Joe Frazier from here but he’s Black so you can’t f**king deal with him, so you make a f**king statue of some 3-foot f**king Italian you stupid Philly cheese-eating f**king jacka**es.”

From Salon

From 1908 to 1915, numerous great white hopes tried and failed to beat Johnson, until Jess Willard, nicknamed the “chocolate dropper,” finally did, becoming the pride of white America.

From Salon

They say 19th Century Molly groups took pride in the appearance of their crossdressing "Moll", competing amongst themselves to see who could produce the best dressed - and this is probably where the name Molly comes from.

From BBC

“It’s like a badge of pride if they can leak content from a lesser-known model,” Dahl explained.

From Slate

That tide has turned under President Xi Jinping, whose government is tightening controls on Pride events, restricting queer representation on TV and pressuring internet sites and platforms to scrub LGBTQ-friendly content.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• congratulate

More About Pride

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month is a month-long observance in celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people—and the history, culture, and contributions of these people and their communities.

It is not limited to people with these sexualities or gender identities. Pride Month also celebrates and is celebrated by those with a range of other identities considered outside of the cishet mainstream.

Pride Month is commonly called Pride for short, as in I can’t wait for Pride!

Different abbreviations often precede the name of the month, including LGBT, LGBTQ, and LGBTQ+, among others that are intended to be as inclusive as possible.

It is commonly celebrated with parades and other large, celebratory gatherings devoted to individual displays of pride and expression.

Pride Month commemorates the 1969 event known as the Stonewall Riots or the Stonewall Uprising, which is often considered the start of the movement for gay, queer, and transgender rights.

When is Pride Month?

Pride Month takes place every year in June.

Where does Pride Month come from?

The observance of Pride Month (and earlier events like Gay Pride Day) traces back to a parade held in New York City in 1970 to mark the one-year anniversary of what became known as the Stonewall Uprising.

Learn more about Pride Month and its origin and history.

What are other words used in discussion of Pride Month?

• Pride
• lesbian
• gay
• bisexual
• transgender
• queer
• sexuality
• gender
• nonbinary
• pansexual
• asexual
• aromantic
• intersex
• two-spirit
• gender-nonconforming

For other terms, see our Gender and Sexuality Dictionary.

How is Pride Month discussed in real life?

Pride Month often involves a combination of celebration and activism during which people show pride in identities that have made them and continue to make them the target of marginalization and oppression, including through discriminatory laws.

As we kick off Pride Month, an annual reminder that Stonewall was an uprising led by queer people of color against police violence

— LeeSean 立翔 (@leesean) June 1, 2020

My journey to accept my bisexuality wasnt easy, i received no education back then about this and i grew up in a heteronormative environment. It was so difficult, what a long journey, but im proud of who i am today. Thats why i wanna celebrate #Pride

— ls (@liebelaurie) May 19, 2021

Omg I get to go to pride this summer for the first time

— socialist socialite (@anupriori) May 17, 2021