pillar

[ pil-er ]

/ ˈpɪl ər /

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See synonyms for: pillar / pillared / pillaring / pillars on Thesaurus.com

noun

an upright shaft or structure, of stone, brick, or other material, relatively slender in proportion to its height, and of any shape in section, used as a building support, or standing alone, as for a monument: Gothic pillars; a pillar to commemorate Columbus.

a natural formation resembling such a construction: a pillar of rock; a pillar of smoke.

any upright, supporting part; post: the pillar of a table.

a person who is a chief supporter of a society, state, institution, etc.: a pillar of the community.

a basis or support: The government regards agriculture and trade as fundamental pillars for the future economy.

a core tenet, belief, or religious act, especially in Islam:As the fifth pillar of Islam, every Muslim is obligated to make pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime as long as it is possible.The Ten Commandments are considered to be pillars of both Judaism and Christianity.

Horology. any of several short parts for spacing and keeping in the proper relative positions two plates holding the bearings of a watch or clock movement.

Mining. an isolated mass of rock or ore in a mine, usually serving as a roof support in early operations and later removed, wholly or in part.

Nautical. mast¹ (def. 2).

verb (used with object)

to provide or support with pillars.

OTHER WORDS FOR pillar

1 pilaster, pier.

See synonyms for pillar on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about pillar

from pillar to post,

aimlessly from place to place.
uneasily from one bad situation or predicament to another.

Origin of pillar

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English piler(e), pileir, pillar(e) from Old French piler, pileir, piller, and Medieval Latin pīlāre, pīlārium, pīlārius, from Latin pīla pile¹;see also -ar¹

synonym study for pillar

1. See column.

OTHER WORDS FROM pillar

pil·lared, adjectivepil·lar·like, adjectiveun·pil·lared, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillar

pillar , pillory, pillow

Words nearby pillar

piling, Pílion, Pilipino, pill, pillage, pillar, pillar-and-breast, pillarbox, pillaret, Pillars of Hercules, Pillars of Islam

How to use pillar in a sentence

One of the main pillars in our attempt to keep numbers low was intense contact tracing.
The inside story of Germany’s coordinated covid response|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Einstein built general relativity on some pillars called Einstein’s principles.
The Physicist Who Slayed Gravity’s Ghosts|Thomas Lewton|August 18, 2020|Quanta Magazine
This latter pillar has been eroding over the years, with the last independent poll conducted in 2016 showing only 30% support for the president.
Belarus Election: Contested Result Sparks Massive Unrest As Europe’s ‘Last Dictator’ Claims Victory|LGBTQ-Editor|August 12, 2020|No Straight News
Ortiz and HKS cantilevered the decks at Globe Life Field to produce more overhang than in the retro parks but without the obstructive steel pillars of the jewel box parks.
MLB’s Newest Ballpark Is A Shift Away From Retro-Era Stadiums|Travis Sawchik|July 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

The clustered content links back to the pillar page, lifting the authority of the pillar page which highlights its importance.
10 Advanced SEO tactics to drive more traffic to your website|Christian Carere|June 8, 2020|Search Engine Watch
While many Hawaiians still secretly worshipped the old gods, kapu was dead as a public pillar of the social structure.
How Haoles Destroyed Hawaii|Wendy Smith|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In another generation, it will be useless, leading visitors straight into a pillar.
Silicon Valley Mansions, Swallowed Alive|Geoff Manaugh|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That morning, Israeli Air Force launched Operation Pillar of Defense in response to hundreds of incoming rockets from Gaza.
Trans in the Holy Land: ‘Marzipan Flowers,’ Tal Kallai, and the Shattering of Israel’s LGBT Taboos|Itay Hod|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet over the course of this season, Sansa has become a pillar of strong womanhood.
Valar Morghulis: Game of Thrones’ Women Are Going to Rule the World|Scott Bixby|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I live just 45 minutes from my childhood home, so I am hardly the pillar of independence.
Marlo Thomas Says Girls Should Feel Free to Be Like Hannah Horvath|Emily Shire|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He that possesseth a good wife, beginneth a possession: she is a help like to himself, and a pillar of rest.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
I insisted on her taking my own rocker, while I fixed myself on the floor with a pillar for a back-rest.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
To solve this one I stopped on the tavern steps, leaned against a pillar, and gazed through the dozing village.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Up the tube vapours may be seen ascending at great speed, the whole appearing like a gigantic pillar of swiftly revolving smoke.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
For a pillar of the Church, Billy displayed rather amazing tastes and abilities.
The Chequers|James Runciman

British Dictionary definitions for pillar

pillar

/ (ˈpɪlə) /

noun

an upright structure of stone, brick, metal, etc, that supports a superstructure or is used for ornamentation

something resembling this in shape or functiona pillar of stones; a pillar of smoke

a tall, slender, usually sheer rock column, forming a separate top

a prominent supportera pillar of the Church

from pillar to post from one place to another

verb

(tr) to support with or as if with pillars

Word Origin for pillar

C13: from Old French pilier, from Latin pīla; see pile 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pillar

OTHER WORDS FOR pillar

Idioms about pillar

Origin of pillar

synonym study for pillar

OTHER WORDS FROM pillar

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillar

Words nearby pillar

Words related to pillar

How to use pillar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pillar

Word Origin for pillar