pediment
noun
ped·i·ment
ˈpe-də-mənt 
1
: a triangular space that forms the gable of a low-pitched roof and that is usually filled with relief sculpture in classical architecture
also
: a similar form used as a decoration
2
: a broad gently sloping bedrock surface with low relief that is situated at the base of a steeper slope and is usually thinly covered with alluvial gravel and sand
Examples of pediment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The graceful curves of the scrolled pediment over the front door are echoed in the foyer with the grand sweep of the staircase, a hallmark of Williams, and in the brocade pattern of the shimmering platinum wallcoverings.
—
Mark David, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately for the cause of intelligent discourse, his statement was erected upon a pediment of lies.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
At the foot of the Bowery, there’s a strange-looking postmodernist building with an arched metal door framed by slender columns and capped with a mint-green pediment.
—Curbed, 25 May 2023
Surrounding it on three sides are the dramatic facades of the former social security headquarters for Mussolini’s government, designed in the Rationalist style that reinterpreted the columns and pediments of ancient Roman architecture into sleek surfaces and geometric shapes.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 July 2023
Built in the Brescian Baroque style, its yellow-hued stone facade has large windows topped with dramatic pediments and a tall arched entryway carved with images of shields and of knights on horseback.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023
Among the modern-looking buildings of the Houston Museum District, the Children's Museum Houston stands out from the crowd—a whimsical take on classic Greek architecture with its cartoonish bright yellow columns and pediment inlaid with mosaic tiles.
—Rebecca Treon, Chron, 30 Apr. 2023
In that time, a column adorning the base of the steeple blew off in a wind storm; rot has spread deeper into the facade’s pediment and cornice; and netting once intended to keep away pigeons is now catching bits and pieces of the portico ceiling that have fallen away.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, 25 Mar. 2022
Johnson’s drive to lead the shift in style landed him on the cover of Time magazine in 1979 for designing the AT&T skyscraper in Manhattan with a broken pediment on top, a gable with a big scoop cut out of the middle, like that of a Chippendale cabinet.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 23 Dec. 2021
Mark David, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately for the cause of intelligent discourse, his statement was erected upon a pediment of lies.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
At the foot of the Bowery, there’s a strange-looking postmodernist building with an arched metal door framed by slender columns and capped with a mint-green pediment.
—Curbed, 25 May 2023
Surrounding it on three sides are the dramatic facades of the former social security headquarters for Mussolini’s government, designed in the Rationalist style that reinterpreted the columns and pediments of ancient Roman architecture into sleek surfaces and geometric shapes.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 July 2023
Built in the Brescian Baroque style, its yellow-hued stone facade has large windows topped with dramatic pediments and a tall arched entryway carved with images of shields and of knights on horseback.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023
Among the modern-looking buildings of the Houston Museum District, the Children's Museum Houston stands out from the crowd—a whimsical take on classic Greek architecture with its cartoonish bright yellow columns and pediment inlaid with mosaic tiles.
—Rebecca Treon, Chron, 30 Apr. 2023
In that time, a column adorning the base of the steeple blew off in a wind storm; rot has spread deeper into the facade’s pediment and cornice; and netting once intended to keep away pigeons is now catching bits and pieces of the portico ceiling that have fallen away.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, 25 Mar. 2022
Johnson’s drive to lead the shift in style landed him on the cover of Time magazine in 1979 for designing the AT&T skyscraper in Manhattan with a broken pediment on top, a gable with a big scoop cut out of the middle, like that of a Chippendale cabinet.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 23 Dec. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pediment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pediment. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pediment
noun
ped·i·ment
ˈped-ə-mənt
: a triangular space forming the gable of a roof in classic architecture
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