pendant
Americannoun
-
pendants
plural
-
a hanging ornament, as an earring or the main piece suspended from a necklace.
-
an ornament suspended from a roof, vault, or ceiling.
-
a hanging electrical lighting fixture; chandelier.
-
that by which something is suspended, as the ringed stem of a watch.
-
a match, parallel, companion, or counterpart.
-
Nautical. Also a length of rope attached to a masthead, the end of a yardarm, etc., and having a block or thimble secured to its free end.
adjective
noun
-
-
an ornament that hangs from a piece of jewellery
-
a necklace with such an ornament
-
-
a hanging light, esp a chandelier
-
a carved ornament that is suspended from a ceiling or roof
-
something that matches or complements something else
-
Also called: pennant. nautical a length of wire or rope secured at one end to a mast or spar and having a block or other fitting at the lower end
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pendant
1300–50; Middle English pendaunt < Anglo-French; Middle French pendant, noun use of present participle of pendre to hang < Vulgar Latin *pendere for Latin pendēre. See pend, -ant
Explanation
If you’re wearing a necklace with a large gold heart on a delicate chain, then you have a pendant, an ornament that hangs on a chain. The word pendant traces back to the Latin word, pendere, meaning "to hang," which tips you off that pendant is a word describing something that hangs, like an ornament that hangs on a chain or a type of light that hangs from the ceiling. As an adjective, pendant means "held from above," like the pendant rock formations that hang from the cave's ceiling.
Vocabulary lists containing pendant
Stargirl
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
On the Come Up
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She wears a pearl-trimmed French hood; a dark, square-necked gown with white lace, gold and pearl trim; a pearl necklace; and, with one exception, a pearl necklace with the pendant initials “AB” or “B.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The portrait features an Indian woman in a formal pose, wearing a string of pearls, a large emerald pendant and a nose ring.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The top lifts off and converts into a pendant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
"We were surprised to hear that two policemen were coming up to Shetland to interview us specially about our sale of a gold pendant to Peter Murrell," Rae said.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
A pendant around his throat flickered with light for a moment, and the Uncle smiled.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Luo admitted that the plush pendants had little practical use.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
"We recovered two pendants: one made from a shell and another from a brown bear tooth," said Tornero.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
Hansen will carry four Moon-shaped pendants for his wife and three children, engraved with the phrase "Moon and back" and set with their birthstones.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
The WSJ columnist tested out AI wearables including glasses, pendants and bracelets this year and found that most of them aren’t worth the money…yet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Opening the jewelry box, she rummaged through the compartments of glittering pendants, brooches, and rings.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
