podium

noun po·di·um \ ˈpō-dē-əm \

Updated on: 17 Apr 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

Vettel claimed top spot on the podium in both Australia and Bahrain, with Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen finishing third and retiring, respectively, following the incident in which a team mechanic broke his leg.

— CNN, "Chinese Grand Prix: 'We can't have any excuses,' says Lewis Hamilton," 13 Apr. 2018
Uninterrupted coverage from the warm-up lap right through to the post-race interview on the podium.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "Formula 1 on ESPN sees massive improvement; IndyCar thrilled in Phoenix," 9 Apr. 2018
Self said Friday before smiling and turning to Newman alongside him on a podium.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "'Finding Malik Newman': Kansas' emerging star soul-searched to breakthrough | The Kansas City Star," 30 Mar. 2018
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished third, denying Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo a chance to become the first Australian driver to stand on the podium at the Australian GP.

— justin bergman, Fox News, "Vettel holds off Hamilton to win Australian GP," 25 Mar. 2018
Three more wrestlers finished on the podium with Tim Crook (112) and Jonathan Ley (135) both earning third place and Colby Udertiz (119) taking seventh.

— brant parsons, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Three Florida wrestlers win middle school national titles at NHSCA," 25 Mar. 2018
Marjory Stoneman Douglas student David Hogg began his speech at the March for Our Lives by putting his orange price tag on the podium.

— lucy diavolo, Teen Vogue, "David Hogg Rallies People to Vote in the 2018 Midterms in Powerful March for Our Lives Speech," 24 Mar. 2018
Palmer sit-skier Andrew Kurka finished off the podium Tuesday for the first time in three races at the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Kurka ends medal streak by placing 7th in Paralympics super combined," 14 Mar. 2018
With such a tight competition going into the free skate, even a one-point deduction for stopping could knock them off the podium.

— maggie hendricks, For The Win, "How figure skating can avoid distracting wardrobe malfunctions in the future," 19 Feb. 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