centerpiece
Americannoun
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centerpieces
plural
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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:
He made alien life the centerpiece of a talk to alumni on campus this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The bank’s real-estate team sees the skyscraper as the centerpiece of a small village of JPMorgan towers in Midtown Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Its centerpiece is Siri AI, the overhauled version of Apple’s assistant powered by Apple Intelligence, which the company is pitching as a more conversational helper than the original Siri.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
It helps that Hinojosa, whose entrance into holding office was being on the Austin school board, has made saving Texas schools the centerpiece of her campaign.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
The centerpiece of the complex is a grassy outdoor seating area populated with oversized, oddly shaped chairs painted in bright zigzag patterns.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Groups of stakeholders including terminal operators, cruise lines and union representatives sat at large round tables with green table cloths and floral centerpieces.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
Family offices are often the centerpieces of wealthy families’ financial lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
This curated gift guide offers a range of ideas for culinary enthusiasts — from stocking stuffers that delight to showstopping centerpieces for the table.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024
Now Carroll is financially set for life, a bona fide MLB star, and one of the centerpieces of the World Series.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
The white flowers in the centerpieces rise high and perfume the room.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
