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.

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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

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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

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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. )

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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

One, you can appreciate it more, but also the public figure stuff becomes less of a pillar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

And the libertarian ACT party -- led by former "Dancing With The Stars" contestant David Seymour -- forms the third pillar of the right-wing alliance that has ruled New Zealand since 2023.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

They dedicated their theses to one another: He was her “unwavering pillar of strength” and Athena was the “relentless drive” that propelled him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Mackenzie spoke out in support of Patel, whom he described as a "pillar of integrity".

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“Ain’t you afraid you’re going to turn into a pillar of salt?”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

"One of the most important pillars of national unification is how the military units currently controlled separately by both sides will be brought together under a single umbrella," he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

"When we take all the datasets, then I think we can deliver on the three pillars of sustainability - economic, environmental and social," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

The company is one of the biggest pillars of the artificial-intelligence industry, and its anticipated initial public offering is likely to reinforce that.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

For them, liberty and virtue were the two pillars on which any good society rests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Bright blue walls and pillars extended down the floor.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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