podium

play

noun po·di·um \ˈpō-dē-əm\

Definition of podium

plural

podiums

podia

play \-dē-ə\

1 : a low wall serving as a foundation or terrace wall: such asa : one around the arena of an ancient amphitheater serving as a base for the tiers of seatsb : the masonry under the stylobate of a temple
2a : a dais especially for an orchestral conductorb : lectern

See podium defined for English-language learners

See podium defined for kids

Examples of podium in a Sentence

the conductor on the podium tonight is one of the leading figures of classical music

Recent Examples of podium from the Web

The Norris contingent, some of whom made the 2,200-mile journey from Newfoundland, did not have to wait long for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to call Josh Norris to the podium.

— mark spezia, Detroit Free Press, "1st-round NHL draft pick Josh Norris taking big-play ability to U-M", 5 July 2017
Gaines digested the speech, then raced towards the podium at the conclusion, beelining to ask Vaccaro a question.

— jake fischer, SI.com, "Meet Lonzo Ball's Agent ... (No, It's Not LaVar)", 29 June 2017
After leaving the New York ensemble in 1936, claiming the workload was too much for a man his age, Toscanini was back on the podium within a year – in the same city – when the National Broadcasting Company established an orchestra just for him.

— jonathan rosenberg, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Toscanini: Musician of Conscience' is a feast of music, culture, politics", 29 June 2017
Travis Kalanick, the company’s founder and CEO, has stepped away from the podium, leaving his beloved Uber in the hands of a new, yet unnamed, executive.

— irv schenkler, Fortune, "How Uber’s Travis Kalanick Can Make a Comeback", 22 June 2017
Louisville coach Dan McDonnell sat at the podium minutes after U of L fell to Florida in a College World Series game Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville's loss to Florida a harsh lesson in the volatility of baseball", 21 June 2017
Spicer’s anticipated move away from the briefing-room podium …

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Most Republicans in the Georgia special election are willing to give Trumpcare a chance", 20 June 2017
The next day, Spicer was absent from the briefing room podium, giving rise to more speculation about his job.

— jennifer jacobs, Bloomberg.com, "White House Weighs New Role for Press Secretary Sean Spicer", 19 June 2017
Minutes later, the honor also brought an awkward and humorous moment, falling off the ribbon around the Dalai Lama’s neck and landing on the podium with a loud clank.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Dalai Lama gives UCSD students hope, challenges in commencement talk", 17 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of podium

Latin — more at pew

NEW!

First Known Use: 1743

See Words from the same year

Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

appoint, credenza, mission, settee

-podium

noun combining form po·di·um

Definition of -podium

plural

-podia

: foot : part resembling a foot pseudopodium

Origin and Etymology of -podium

New Latin, from Greek podion, diminutive of pod-, pous foot — more at foot

PODIUM Defined for English Language Learners

podium

play

noun

Definition of podium for English Language Learners

: a raised platform for a speaker, performer, or the leader of an orchestra
: a stand with a slanted surface that holds a book, notes, etc., for someone who is reading, speaking, or teaching

PODIUM Defined for Kids

podium

noun po·di·um \ˈpō-dē-əm\

Definition of podium for Students

1 : a raised platform especially for the conductor of an orchestra
2 : a stand with a slanted surface (as for holding papers or a book) that a person can stand behind or near when giving a speech