pillar

[ pil-er ]

noun

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 ¹( def 2 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or support with pillars.

pillar

/ 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 smoke

   a pillar of stones

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

   a pillar of the Church

5. from pillar to post
   from one place to another

verb

1. tr to support with or as if with pillars

Other Word Forms

• pil·lared adjective
• pil·lar·like adjective
• un·pil·lared adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillar¹

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; -ar ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillar¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. from pillar to post,
   1. aimlessly from place to place.
   2. uneasily from one bad situation or predicament to another.

Synonym Study

See column.

Example Sentences

Compliance, however, amounted to consenting to what Stanford professor Adrian Daub calls "a controlled demolition, with each demand a charge to knock out another pillar of academic freedom."

From Salon

Since then, the ANC has made "black empowerment" a central pillar of its economic policy in an attempt to tackle the racial injustices of the past.

From BBC

It becomes a vital pillar of democracy — though not, on its own, a sufficient guarantee of democratic health.

From Salon

To avoid restricting your spending this way, I recommend using a money map to get a look at four key pillars before making a plan:

From Salon

The obituary described Ridley, known among loved ones as “Tan,” as a “pillar of the New York City singing circuit.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• pedestal