pavilion

American  

[puh-vil-yuhn] / pəˈvɪl jən /

noun

• pavilions
  plural

1. a light, usually open building used for shelter, concerts, exhibits, etc., as in a park or fair.

2. any of a number of separate or attached buildings forming a hospital or the like.

3. Architecture. a projecting element of a façade, used especially at the center or at each end and usually treated so as to suggest a tower.

4. a tent, especially a large and elaborate one.

5. a small, ornamental building in a garden.

6. Also called base. Jewelry. the part of a cut gem below the girdle.

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verb (used with object)

1. to shelter in or as if in a pavilion.

2. to furnish with pavilions.

pavilion British  

/ pəˈvɪljən /

noun

1. a building at a sports ground, esp a cricket pitch, in which players change

2. a summerhouse or other decorative shelter

3. a building or temporary structure, esp one that is open and ornamental, for housing exhibitions

4. a large ornate tent, esp one with a peaked top, as used by medieval armies

5. one of a set of buildings that together form a hospital or other large institution

6. one of four main facets on a brilliant-cut stone between the girdle and the culet

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verb

1. to place or set in or as if in a pavilion

   pavilioned in splendour

2. to provide with a pavilion or pavilions

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpavilioned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pavilions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pavilion

1250–1300; Middle English pavilon < Old French paveillon < Latin pāpiliōn- (stem of pāpiliō ) butterfly

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Explanation

Pavilions are made for pleasure. A traveling circus takes place under a big colorful pavilion or billowing tent. A wedding might take place under a pavilion or freestanding decorative building in a garden. The word pavilion comes from the Latin papilionem meaning "tent" or literally "butterfly." Think of the sweeping beautiful wings of a butterfly and how they sort of resemble the folds of a tent. In the eighteenth century, pavilions were popular in Europe. Wealthy people would build these small temple-like buildings where they could go to reflect and find calm. Today, the word is more commonly used for big tents or outdoor spaces where events are held.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pavilion pavilions

On the hillside above the shop is an open-air lunch area, its seating made from wooden bleachers salvaged from the old right-field pavilion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

That was followed by an invitation to install her work inside the Japanese pavilion of the 1993 Venice Biennale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

In April 2027, UChicago Medicine will open the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, Chicago's first freestanding cancer pavilion, to bring advanced diagnostics, innovative treatments, translational discoveries, and comprehensive support to patients and the community.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

Additionally, the home has a den, built-in storage, curved staircase, outdoor movie pavilion, and 50-foot-long lap pool designed by Johnston Vidal.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

‘ProudFEET!’ shouted an elderly hobbit from the back of the pavilion.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Even if you aren’t staying there, the property’s posh beach club, with wooden pavilions jutting into the sea, is worth a visit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The address kicked off the Great American State Fair, a free festival marking the semiquincentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with state pavilions, military flyovers, music and patriotic displays.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Typically the Biennale is an escapist refuge where dozens of countries show off their homegrown artists in pavilions and palazzos citywide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

While the original museum is contained in a subterranean space built into the landscape of the park, the new light-filled campus is a swooping architectural feat that features three pavilions connected by an open canopy.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

They had been riding up a gentle slope toward a line of brightly colored pavilions on the height.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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