podium

noun po·di·um \ ˈpō-dē-əm \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

Definition of podium

plural podiums or podia play \ˈpō-dē-ə\

1 : a low wall serving as a foundation or terrace wall: such as

a : one around the arena of an ancient amphitheater serving as a base for the tiers of seats

b : the masonry under the stylobate of a temple

2 a : a dais especially for an orchestral conductor

b : 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

And behind podiums across the country this spring, women from every professional and political stripe will be sharing their stories with graduating college classes.

— aj willingham, CNN, "In a tumultuous and triumphant year, women are dominating as college commencement speakers," 10 May 2018
In his four attempts, Castroneves has picked up a pair of podiums and has never finished worse than sixth, making him the only driver to register top-10s at all four races.

— jim ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Ayello: Pay attention to qualifying, first lap of IndyCar Grand Prix," 9 May 2018
In his four attempts, Castroneves has picked up a pair of podiums and has never finished worse than sixth, making him the only driver to register top-10s at all four GPs.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Will we know winner of IndyCar Grand Prix after qualifying?," 9 May 2018
Rows of chairs are lined up, facing a podium and a row of chairs where the inmates sit.

— bowen west, idahostatesman, "New sentences: Creative writing program allows Idaho inmates to find their voices | Idaho Statesman," 9 May 2018
Björnsson himself shared a photo of him standing on the podium on social media over the weekend.

— zoe szathmary, Fox News, "'Game of Thrones' star named 2018 World's Strongest Man," 7 May 2018
Gone from the winner's podium were local fixtures such as April Ross and Casey Patterson, previous champions synonymous with Southern California beach volleyball.

— curtis zupke, latimes.com, "Huntington Beach Open has international flair with Dutch and Brazalian pairs digging wins," 7 May 2018
But when the announcement was made, there was no one at the podium with Cantrell to fill that role.

— kevin litten, NOLA.com, "LaToya Cantrell makes public safety picks that don't include Warren Riley," 2 May 2018
Miami Heat President Pat Riley took to the podium Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena in his annual postseason wrap-up media season.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Pat Riley says Heat must improve roster, addresses Whiteside issue," 30 Apr. 2018

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! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1743

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

podium Synonyms

Synonyms

dais, platform, rostrum, stage, stand, tribune;

Related Words

altar, pulpit;

riser, scaffold;

balcony, gallery;

Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

appoint, credenza, mission, settee

-podium

noun combining form

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

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