pedestal

1 of 2

noun

ped·es·tal ˈpe-də-stᵊl

Synonyms of pedestal next

: the support or foot of a late classic or neoclassical column see column illustration

: the base of an upright structure

the pedestal of a statue

: base, foundation

Tourism is the island's economic pedestal.

: a position of esteem

… be careful not to put celebrities on too high a pedestal.—

Phil Plait

pedestal

2 of 2

verb

pedestaled or pedestalled; pedestaling or pedestalling

transitive verb

: to place on or furnish with a pedestal

Examples of pedestal in a Sentence

Noun the pedestal of a vase

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The body of a bronze headless woman slowly melts and drips down the side of the concrete pedestal of In Mortal Repose (2011), while Double Standard (2022) conjoins symmetrical headless bodies at the neck, one rightside up, one upside down. —

Grace Edquist, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2023 Charlottesville’s Lee statue meets its end, in a 2,250-degree furnace A few days ago, The Washington Post published a detailed account of the end of the Confederate general’s statue, a structure that before it was removed from its pedestal had prompted public and persistent displays of hate. —

Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2023 Each night after visitors have left for the day, the diamond is mechanically lowered into the pedestal of the case for safe storage. —

Beth Py-Lieberman, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023 The en-suite bath comes with a porcelain pedestal sink, a shower-tub combination, and ceramic tile flooring. —

John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 In our community, Black women are held on a pedestal for being perceived as giving to a fault, self-sacrificing, and giving despite making sacrifices that leave them feeling stressed, burned out, and unappreciated. —

Dominique Fluker, Essence, 23 Oct. 2023 Dominance over the people and space around him puts him on a pedestal and validates him as strong, separating him from the weak who have to comply with his will. —

Jp Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023 In Brazil, where Jobim, one of the prime architects of bossa nova, is considered a national treasure, he’s simply thought of as a composer, placed on a pedestal along with classical Brazilian composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos. —

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2023 The pedestal beneath the Independent Man atop the Rhode Island State House in November 2022, left, and September 2023, right, when a gap in the base was noticed. —

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023

Verb

The state of Virginia took that statue and pedestal down in September and deeded the property to the city. —

Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2022 Worse, pedestaling successful Asian immigrant families also often silences and subjugates undocumented Asian immigrants, who represent one out of every seven Asian immigrants living in the United States. —

Irene Hsu, New Republic, 16 Feb. 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pedestal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.