pillar

1 of 2

noun

pil·​lar ˈpi-lər How to pronounce pillar (audio)
1
a
: a firm upright support for a superstructure : post entry 1
b
: a usually ornamental column or shaft
especially : one standing alone for a monument
2
a
: a supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part
a pillar of society
b
: a fundamental precept
the five pillars of Islam
3
: a solid mass of coal, rock, or ore left standing to support a mine roof
4
: a body part that resembles a column
pillarless adjective

pillar

2 of 2

verb

pillared; pillaring; pillars

transitive verb

: to provide or strengthen with or as if with pillars
Phrases
from pillar to post
: from one place or one predicament to another

Examples of pillar in a Sentence

Noun the ancient Greek temple boasted graceful marble pillars with richly ornamented tops my father has been my pillar throughout this crisis
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of the five pillars of Islam, observed by Muslims worldwide, the month is marked by fasting, introspection, prayer and ideally a family gathering each evening after sundown. Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Along with deejaying, emceeing, and graffiti artistry, breaking is considered one of the four pillars of hip-hop, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last summer. Sean Gregory, TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 The site of one is now a street with houses, its entry pillars blending into the streetscape. Claire Moses, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Further inland at Malabar Hill, the arches and pillars of old Rajasthan have been assiduously reproduced amid 33 acres of hillside, with private pools in each high-ceilinged villa. Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024 Upholding a customer-centric approach, exploiting AI's potential and ensuring consistency while innovating and fostering cross-functional collaboration are the pillars of successful customer experience (CX) strategies. Andrew Kokes, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Of the once numerous pillars of evidence supporting the existence of true MBL, Imbrie’s proof is the last one standing. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Further enhance your table by wrapping a tea towel around a pillar candle and tying it in place with a ribbon (just remove before lighting!). Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 Rene Aguilera, 62 Sacramento Programs Director of Empowering Latino Futures Background: Aguilera grew up in Roseville with parents who started a scholarship and became pillars in the local Chicano community. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Growing up on this hilltop surrounded by vineyards, the siblings began work early and wore wooden shoes, saving handmade slippers for Mass. Though money was often scarce, the family had as pillars their deeply religious parents: Teresa, who didn’t work outside the home, and Giovanni, a carpenter. Saskia Solomon, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023 Just one practical example of that purpose in action concerns pillars 3 and 4, and Monin’s 15-year quest to help avoid colony collapse among the US bee population. Simon Mainwaring, Forbes, 17 July 2023 The light frayed, ghostly pillars shifting, the voice of God made visible. Hazlitt, 7 June 2023 Some of this light comes back toward the metalens, which is pointed, pillars out, toward the scene. IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2023 You’re allowed to have Facebook pages that pillar the leaders and. Laura Johnston, cleveland, 23 Jan. 2023 The tall windows, pillared facade, rooftop balustrade, and 90-foot-high rotunda of the main building give it the look of a chateau. Adam Hochschild, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2019 The recovery initiative is pillared by a breeding program and habitat safeguards. Helena Amante, Smithsonian, 8 Oct. 2019 The team started working on the research which initially began in 2014 with the Staghorn coral, but then the focus shifted to pillar coral because of a disease that has been devastating to the Florida Reef Tract. Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English piler, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin pilare, from Latin pila

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pillar was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pillar

Cite this Entry

“Pillar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pillar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pillar

1 of 2 noun
pil·​lar ˈpil-ər How to pronounce pillar (audio)
1
: a firm upright support (as for a roof)
2
: a column or shaft standing alone (as for a monument)
3
: a supporting or important member or part
a pillar of society

pillar

2 of 2 verb
: to provide or support with or as if with pillars
a long pillared hall

Medical Definition

pillar

noun
pil·​lar ˈpil-ər How to pronounce pillar (audio)
: a body part likened to a pillar or column (as the margin of the external inguinal ring)
specifically : pillar of the fauces

More from Merriam-Webster on pillar

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