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
Phil Plait
pedestaled or pedestalled; pedestaling or pedestalling
: 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
Sloane Brown, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2025
French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi led the design and construction of the statue's copper components — from crown to gown — over several years, while working with American architect Richard Morris Hunt to design the 154-foot pedestal.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
Irene Hsu, New Republic, 16 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for pedestal
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Noun
Purses sat atop pedestals and tables scattered throughout The Elm, against the backdrop of art and a vintage car parked inside the building.
—Sloane Brown, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2025
French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi led the design and construction of the statue's copper components — from crown to gown — over several years, while working with American architect Richard Morris Hunt to design the 154-foot pedestal.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pedestal
Cite this Entry
“Pedestal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestal. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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