pedestal

1 of 2

noun

ped·​es·​tal ˈpe-də-stᵊl 

1

a

: the support or foot of a late classic or neoclassical column see column illustration

b

: the base of an upright structure

the pedestal of a statue

2

: base, foundation

Tourism is the island's economic pedestal.

3

: a position of esteem

… be careful not to put celebrities on too high a pedestal.

—Phil Plait

pedestal

2 of 2

verb

pedestaled or pedestalled; pedestaling or pedestalling

transitive verb

: to place on or furnish with a pedestal

Examples of pedestal in a Sentence

Noun

the pedestal of a vase

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An onyx pedestal invites Falconer to punctuate it with fresh flowers from time to time. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2024

Advertisement Medal ceremonies now seem as much a part of the Olympic furniture as running tracks and swimming pools but the practice didn’t begin until the 1932 Winter Games, with the idea of a medal pedestal borrowed from the 1930 British Empire (later Commonwealth) Games. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024

Verb

Worse, pedestaling successful Asian immigrant families also often silences and subjugates undocumented Asian immigrants, who represent one out of every seven Asian immigrants living in the United States. —Irene Hsu, New Republic, 16 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French piedestal, from Old Italian piedestallo, from pie di stallo foot of a stall

First Known Use

Noun

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pedestal

• knock (someone) off his/her pedestal
• put/place (someone) on a pedestal

Kids Definition

pedestal

noun

ped·​es·​tal

ˈped-əs-tᵊl

1

: the support or foot of a column

2

: the base of something upright (as a vase, lamp, or statue)

3

: a position of high regard