pillory

noun pil·lo·ry \ ˈpi-lə-rē , ˈpil-rē \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of pillory

plural pillories

1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked

2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

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Did You Know?

In days gone by, criminals who got caught might well have found themselves in the stocks (which held the feet or both feet and hands) or a pillory. Both of those forms of punishment - and the words that name them - have been around since the Middle Ages. We latched onto "pillory" from the Anglo-French pilori (which has the same meaning as our English term), but the exact origins of the French term are uncertain. For centuries, "pillory" referred only to the wooden frame used to hold a ne'er-do-well, but by the early 1600s, folks had turned the word into a verb for the act of putting someone in a pillory. Within a century, they had further expanded the verb to cover any process that led to as much public humiliation as being pilloried.

Illustration of pillory

Origin and Etymology of pillory

Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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pillory

verb

Definition of pillory

pilloried; pillorying

transitive verb

1 : to set in a pillory as punishment

2 : to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn

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Examples of pillory in a Sentence

The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

Recent Examples of pillory from the Web

The eight clergy have been pilloried in history for their stance.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "MLK wrote his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' 55 years ago," 16 Apr. 2018
In the past, players have been pilloried for having the gall to pursue their own self-interest, financial or otherwise, in choosing which team to play for.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "In Praise of Fair-Weather Fandom," 16 Apr. 2018
The response, which prompted comparisons to (and a very funny video by) 30 Rock's Kenneth the Page was pilloried by comics and critics alike.

— Newsweek, "Analysis," 14 Mar. 2018
At a breakfast celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., top Massachusetts politicians Monday pilloried President Trump, calling him a racist and a bully.

— joshua miller, BostonGlobe.com, "State’s politicians assail Trump on MLK Day as ‘racist’," 15 Jan. 2018
For this act of public service, he was pilloried by the editorial page of the Oregonian, which supported the Rajneeshees and their leader to the bitter end.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "Outside the Limits of the Human Imagination," 27 Mar. 2018
This was a team that reluctantly traded away its best player, accepting in return two members of Russell Westbrook's pilloried supporting cast.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "The Emergence of Victor Oladipo Has the Pacers Going Above and Beyond," 27 Mar. 2018
That move, which was pilloried by Alex Jones and other peddlers, led to the company announcing a plan to include Wikipedia information on popular videos about conspiracy theories.

— gillian edevane, Newsweek, "YouTube Clamps Down on Gun Videos, Angering Content Creators," 21 Mar. 2018
Both women married royalty against the wishes of their grooms’ respective families, and both were pilloried by respectable society.

— mary carole mccauley, Detroit Free Press, "Books: Biography revisits the American who scandalized Britain," 24 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pillory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pillory

circa 1600

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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PILLORY Defined for English Language Learners

pillory

noun

Definition of pillory for English Language Learners

: a device that was used in the past for punishing someone in public and that consists of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked