pavilion

1 of 2

noun

pa·​vil·​ion pə-ˈvil-yən 

1

a

: a large often sumptuous tent

… the white pavilions of the Turkish irregular cavalry.

—A. H. Layard

b

: something resembling a canopy or tent

… tree-ferns spread their delicate pavilions.

—Blanche E. Baughan

2

a

: a part of a building projecting from the rest

… rang the bell of the little pavilion …

—Gertrude Stein

b

: one of several detached or semidetached units into which a building is sometimes divided

3

a

: a usually open sometimes ornamental structure in a garden, park, or place of recreation that is used for entertainment or shelter

a dance pavilion

a band pavilion

b

: a temporary structure erected at an exposition by an individual exhibitor

visited the Chinese pavilion at the international exposition

4

: the lower faceted part of a brilliant below the girdle (see girdle entry 1 sense 2) see brilliant illustration

pavilion

2 of 2

verb

pavilioned; pavilioning; pavilions

transitive verb

: to furnish or cover with or put in a pavilion

Synonyms of pavilion

Noun

• kiosk
• casino
• alcove

Examples of pavilion in a Sentence

Noun

The World's Fair had numerous pavilions.

the park's pavilions may be rented for wedding receptions and other social gatherings

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Among the mourners were families, elderly people and foreign domestic helpers, many of whom left notes attached to columns of the pavilion in a nearby park. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025

Relax in Nature For hiking and kayaking, Palmetto State Park, named for its dwarf palmetto trees, features an unexpected landscape of shaded, swampy surroundings, multiple trails, and a historic 1930s pavilion overlooking the river. —Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025

Beyond its role as an exhibition space, the pavilion showed that Southeast Asia is moving from a passive participant in climate discussions to an active agenda-setter with a coordinated and forward-looking approach. —Natalie Sum Yue Chung, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

The floating pavilion employs Archimedes’ principle and follows those shifts by rising and falling accordingly, allowing visitors to have a real, physical experience of the tidal rhythms. —Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pavilloun, pavillioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin papilion-, papilio butterfly; perhaps akin to Old High German fīfaltra butterfly

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pavilion

• castilian
• civilian
• cotillion
• postilion
• quadrillion
• reptilian
• vermilion
• vermillion
• billion
• million
• pillion
• trillion

Kids Definition

pavilion

noun

pa·​vil·​ion

pə-ˈvil-yən

1

: a usually large tent with a peaked or rounded top

2

: a lightly constructed building serving as a shelter in a park, garden, or athletic field

3

: a part of a building that extends from the main part

4

: a building partly or completely detached from the main building or group of buildings

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pavillioun "a large decorated tent," from early French pavillioun "tent," from Latin papilion-, papilio "butterfly"

Word Origin

The Latin word papilio meant "butterfly." In a later stage of Latin, papilio also came to be used to mean "a tent." This probably happened because the top of a colorful tent looked like the spread wings of a butterfly. This meaning was borrowed into early French as pavillioun. Later, the French word came into English and is now spelled pavilion. Over the years, pavilion acquired additional meanings in English, all having to do with a building of some kind. But a large and richly decorated tent—as colorful as a butterfly—is still sometimes called a pavilion.

Medical Definition

pavilion

noun

pa·​vil·​ion pə-ˈvil-yən 

1

: pinna

2

: a detached or semidetached part of a hospital devoted to a special use

a maternity pavilion

a nuclear medicine pavilion