statue
Americannoun
-
statues
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of statue
1300–50; Middle English < Middle French < Latin statua, noun derivative of statuere to set up, itself derivative of status ( see status)
Explanation
To stand as still as a statue is to stand absolutely still, a statue being a sculpture, after all. A statue is a specific kind of sculpture, one that clearly represents a person, an animal, or other living creature. There's no question that the first thing most people think of when they hear the word statue is the Statue of Liberty. The woman's name is Liberty and there she is, a statue. Any sculpture that represents a person (Liberty, George Washington, Gandhi, or the Mad Hatter) is called a statue. In New York's Central Park, there is a much beloved statue of a dog named Balto, a heroic husky from Alaska.
Vocabulary lists containing statue
Academy Awards, List 1
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"The Secret Water"
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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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:
On Sunday, Team Scotland stood out at the closing ceremony with traffic cone hats, in a nod to the iconic Duke of Wellingston statue.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
A Polish billionaire is paying for a giant statue of the Virgin Mary that residents of the village of Konotopie hope will put them on the pilgrimage map.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Fans queued at New Street station to have their photo taken with the mechanical Ozzy the bull statue, which has been specially dressed up for Ozzy Day, receiving a free commemorative Polaroid.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
A bright new store in Shelby attached to a Dunkin’ has 12 gas pumps, a row of colorful slushie machines and a shiny moose statue greeting customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
On top of his dash was a plastic statue of Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Before leaving the village for the modern world, Yuru awakens Left and Right, two statues that have marked the entrance to the village.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The government has acknowledged taking down some statues it said had "incorrect proportions and shapes".
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
As I stared into empty niches that once contained massive wooden statues of saints, I meditated on how fragile our democracy is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Edinburgh city centre councillor Jo Mowatt told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme that the practice made statues look "undignified".
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Outside the library were statues of sea creatures, including giant sea turtles and sharks.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Definitions 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.
