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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The giant prop, which took roughly 250 actors and stunt performers to haul, is a centerpiece of Nolan’s moonshot adaptation of the epic poem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
And when you want the centerpiece to feel unmistakably like summer, try making live lobster from Lobster Boys.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Everyone knew going in that Lionel Messi would be the narrative centerpiece of the 2026 World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
My family did not plan to make the World Cup the centerpiece of our summer, but once it began, we couldn’t stop watching.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
I’m making a turkey handprint centerpiece for our table when Dad comes out of the kitchen.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Family offices are often the centerpieces of wealthy families’ financial lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
A few centuries ago, pineapples could rack up as much as today’s equivalent of $8,000, and were available to rent as centerpieces for fancy dinner parties in Colonial America.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2024
For another meal, where she planned to use decorative kale centerpieces, she chose green and purple dishes and table linens to reflect the coloring of the leaves.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
Mr. Brooks, 32, saved money on her wedding in December by creating centerpieces with old family books and wood bouquets rather than fresh flowers.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 5, 2023
She looks around the room, taking in the swags of green, the holly berries, red roses, and dried magnolia leaves set as centerpieces on all the tables.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
