podium

1 of 2

noun

po·​di·​um ˈpō-dē-əm 

plural podiums or podia ˈpō-dē-ə 

1

: a low wall serving as a foundation or terrace wall: such as

a

: one around the arena of an ancient amphitheater serving as a base for the tiers of seats

b

: the masonry under the stylobate of a temple

2

a

: a dais especially for an orchestral conductor

b

: lectern

-podium

2 of 2

noun combining form

plural -podia

: foot : part resembling a foot

pseudopodium

Synonyms of podium

Noun

• platform
• stage
• pulpit
• stand
• rostrum
• dais
• tribune
• balcony
• altar

Examples of podium in a Sentence

Noun

the conductor on the podium tonight is one of the leading figures of classical music

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Competitors had to lift them onto podiums at different heights in the quickest time possible. — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Hernandez captured back-to-back high jump and triple jump championships and finished third in the long jump, prompting state officials to issue duplicate medals to the girls pushed down the podium. — Alejandro Avila , Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Other top teams that could reach the podium are Australia, Spain and China. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Make Your Speech, the second of these non-partisan contests, invites young Americans to step up to the political podium. — Usa Today Network Staff Reports, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin — more at pew

Noun combining form

New Latin, from Greek podion, diminutive of pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

Noun

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for podium

• chenopodium
• lycopodium
• monosodium
• polypodium
• disodium
• plasmodium
• propodeum
• trisodium
• odium
• podium
• rhodium
• sodium

Kids Definition

podium

noun

po·​di·​um ˈpōd-ē-əm 

plural podiums or podia -ē-ə 

: a raised platform especially for an orchestral conductor