# masquerade

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/ · frequency rank #27,209

## Definitions
1. An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and costumes, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions.
2. The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade ball.
3. An act of living under false pretenses; a concealment of something by a false or unreal show; a disguise, a pretence; also, a pretentious display.
4. An assembly of varied, often fanciful, things.
5. A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits.
6. A dramatic performance by actors in masks; a mask or masque.
7. A Spanish entertainment or military exercise in which squadrons of horses charge at each other, the riders fighting with bucklers and canes.

## Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Middle French mascarade, masquarade, masquerade (modern French mascarade (“masquerade, masque; farce”)), and its etymon Italian mascherata (“masquerade”), from maschera (“mask”) + -ata. Maschera is derived from Medieval Latin masca (“mask”): see further there. The English word is cognate with Late Latin masquarata, Portuguese mascarada, Spanish mascarada.
The verb is derived from the noun.

## Common misspellings (14)
`amsquerade`, `maqsuerade`, `masqeurade`, `masqquerade`, `masquearde`, `masqueradde`, `masqueraed`, `masquerdae`, `masquerrade`, `masqureade`, `massquerade`, `masuqerade`, `mmasquerade`, `msaquerade`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/masquerade