pilasters

noun

plural of pilaster
as in columns
an upright shaft that supports an overhead structure the rectangular pilasters spaced along the building's facade lend an air of classical grandeur

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pilasters Even now, its fins and pilasters adorn plenty of new construction, and in real-estate-speak, the phrase is code for high class. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026 In the end, Laffrey, whose Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, settled for using an iPhone app to record the size of pilasters and mullioned mirrors. — Carey Purcell, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2025 With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious. — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilasters
  1. columns
  2. pillars
Noun
  • The company was adding 18,000 square feet to 15 upper floors of the building, and the additional load caused two columns to bend, sagging the floors – some as much as 4 inches, Nathan Berman, founder and managing principal of MetroLoft, told CNN.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • In the Owens Valley, thermals — columns of warm, rising air — rocket paragliders to altitudes higher than most small airplanes can fly.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of columns
Noun
  • Still, the pieces of ceiling trim dedicated to the pillars of courage and trust remained missing, a nod perhaps to the traits most easily lost when disaster strikes – and most needed to rebuild.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The only way to preserve our republic is to strengthen the pillars of our present with the mortar of our past.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of pillars

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pilaster
pilasters
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Cite this Entry

“Pilasters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilasters. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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