pew

noun

ˈpyü 

1

: a compartment in the auditorium of a church providing seats for several persons

2

: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors fixed in rows in a church

Examples of pew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dreher knelt in one of the pews and prayed. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026

On the last day of January, hundreds of people filled the pews of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown to hear not the word of God but the gospel of the Democratic Socialists of America. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

And for bonus points, an antique pew can make for excellent seating around a dining table or in hallways. —Hannah Coates, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026

Jagger’s bandmates, rock ‘n’ roll comrades, and other A-listers attended their vows—Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Brigitte Bardot were just a few of the glitterati in the pews. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pewe, from Middle French dialect (Picardy) puie balustrade, from Latin podia, plural of podium parapet, podium, from Greek podion base, diminutive of pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

pew

noun

ˈpyü 

: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors set in rows in a church