centerpiece
Americannoun
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an ornamental object used in a central position, especially on the center of a dining-room table.
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the central or outstanding point or feature.
The centerpiece of the evening was a play put on by the employees.
Etymology
Origin of centerpiece
Explanation
The centerpiece of something is literally the piece that goes in the center — the centerpiece of a table setting might be a candle surrounded by roses. Centerpiece also refers to the most important part of something. Although it often refers to the decoration in the middle of a table, a centerpiece is the most important and noteworthy part of anything. The Thinker is the centerpiece of the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. An indoor lagoon is the centerpiece of the Tonga Room in San Francisco. The right to vote became a centerpiece of the women’s rights movement in the late 1800’s. No matter what it is, a centerpiece should be impressive.
Vocabulary lists containing centerpiece
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The director of “Drive My Car” continues his process-centric exploration of workplace relationships in this quietly revelatory movie, one with a centerpiece conversation that merits comparison to the long walks of Richard Linklater’s “Before” movies.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The garment was also the centerpiece of ads for the collection and showcased the fashion potential of Christian figures.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Xi brought Trump around the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a circular three-tiered structure and the centerpiece of the complex.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The parade usually features intercontinental ballistic missiles, armored vehicles and goose-stepping soldiers near the walls of Kremlin, and has become a centerpiece of President Vladimir Putin’s decadeslong rule of Russia.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Not to be outdone, Berkeley unveiled the centerpiece of its surge of spending in 1924.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
