pillar

American  

[pil-er] / ˈpɪl ər /

noun

• pillars
  plural

1. 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.

   Synonyms:

   pier, pilaster

2. a natural formation resembling such a construction.

   a pillar of rock; a pillar of smoke.

3. any upright, supporting part; post.

   the pillar of a table.

4. a person who is a chief supporter of a society, state, institution, etc..

   a pillar of the community.

5. a basis or support.

   The government regards agriculture and trade as fundamental pillars for the future economy.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Nautical. mast.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or support with pillars.

idioms

1. from pillar to post,

   1. aimlessly from place to place.

   2. uneasily from one bad situation or predicament to another.

pillar British  

/ ˈpɪlə /

noun

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

2. something resembling this in shape or function

   a pillar of stones

   a pillar of smoke

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

4. a prominent supporter

   a pillar of the Church

5. from one place to another

---

verb

1. (tr) to support with or as if with pillars

Synonym Usage

See column.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pillared
  adjective
• pillarlike
  adjective
• unpillared
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pillars
  plural

Etymology

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 pile ¹; see also -ar ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

If someone describes you as a pillar of strength, he's saying you're reliable and supportive, much like a pillar or column of a building that helps hold the structure up. The spelling of the word pillar looks like it has two pillars right at its center, holding the word up. Pillar is interchangeable with the word column, though you can't always use them in the same contexts. While a column and a pillar are both physical cylindrical structures, a column can also be the row running up and down on a chart, while a pillar is often someone or thing that is considered a foundation or support. Someone indispensable to your company might be considered a pillar to the organization.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pillar pillars

They have come against a backdrop of concerns over job security as artificial intelligence transforms South Korea's automotive industry, a pillar of the Asian nation's economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been privately advocating for a truce, in part, to avoid seeing another pillar of industry — the Paramount film studio — leave the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

To support Henry Bacon’s Parthenon-like building and Daniel Chester French’s colossal statue, builders had to sink 122 hollow steel cylinders deep into the marshy soil to reach bedrock, then fill each pillar with concrete.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Retail sales represent a large slice of consumer spending — the main pillar of growth for the U.S. economy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

A large table sat in the very middle, draped with a purple cloth, a wax pillar in its center.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The best way to look at growth is to examine consumer spending and business investment, the two main pillars of the economy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

"It serves as a forward-looking strategic platform, guiding our bilateral partnership across all five pillars -- political, economic, maritime, people-to-people, and security."

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Serú Girán and Texas Tornados are probably the twin pillars, but beyond that?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Chinese leaders also pledged to pursue breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, support future industries and foster emerging sectors that could become pillars of the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

We ride on through a cavern, between pillars of roots, over packed earth.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• pedestal