chandelier

American  

[shan-dl-eer] / ˌʃæn dlˈɪər /

noun

• chandeliers
  plural

1. a decorative, sometimes ornate, light fixture suspended from a ceiling, usually having branched supports for a number of lights.

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chandelier British  

/ ˌʃændɪˈlɪə /

noun

1. an ornamental hanging light with branches and holders for several candles or bulbs

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chandeliered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chandeliers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of chandelier

1655–65; < French: literally, something that holds candles; see chandler

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Explanation

A chandelier is a fancy light fixture that is often ornate and hanging suspended in the middle of a formal space. Walk into a grand ballroom and see a light fixture adorned with sparkling crystals? That's a chandelier. The word chandelier comes from the French candere meaning "be white, glisten." Look up at a chandelier and you'll see it glistening and casting white reflections on the walls. The French origin of the word might call up images of palaces like Versailles in France, where chandeliers hang in nearly every room.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chandelier chandeliers

Four larger cylinders were positioned on a rotating carousel in a configuration resembling four candlesticks on an old-fashioned chandelier.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

When they handed the property over, it boasted emerald green walls, a rattan monkey chandelier, and banana-leaf wallpaper.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

A group of people were gathered around a large dining table beneath a massive chandelier of antler, a tableau that evoked some kind of Viking summit.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

Scattered across the living room floor, under a sparkling crystal chandelier, were dozens of photos of the same slender man in different settings - sitting at his desk, even playing in the snow.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Overhead, strings of globe lights were looped around tall mirrors, bedposts, and the odd nonfunctional chandelier.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Before it began, the leaders huddled under the rococo ceiling and chandeliers started urgently discussing Greenland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

However, Lopez’s newly renovated space has a much brighter color palette, with a marble fireplace, pale green walls, gold chandeliers, and painted beams.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

More than 400 small manufacturing clusters here make glass items ranging from car headlamp covers and bangles to light shades, decorative items and chandeliers, feeding a domestic market worth over $200mn.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Built in 1927 during the Prohibition era, the venue still has that vintage aesthetic with old pinsetters that serve as chandeliers, a revamped mural from the 1930s and eight refurbished bowling lanes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

The front door splintered, and I saw the chandeliers swinging wildly in the foyer.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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