Pedestal Meaning
/ˈpɛdɪstəl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe base or foot of a column, statue, vase, lamp.
nounA place of reverence or honor.
Sentence Examples
He has her on a pedestal.
A bust of Aristotle stands on a pedestal in the entryway.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The museum placed the ancient statue on a marble ____ to display it at eye level.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The statue was placed on a tall marble ____ in the center of the town square.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Middle French piédestal, itself borrowed from Italian piedistallo (literally “foot stand”). Spelling influenced by Latin pēs, pedem.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The table and two base pedestals cost more than $4,000. The pedestals are described as having “hand applied ebonized inlay with bell flowers topped by hand carved scrolls and a fluted column.”"
— 2018 February 28, Rene Marsh, Ross Levitt, “See HUD’s $31,000 mahogany dining set”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Dec 2022:
"The state reached a deal with the city to remove the 40-foot granite pedestal the Lee statue sat on for more than a century."
— 2021 December 15, Ami Vera, Artemis Moshtaghian, “Virginia to begin removal process of Robert E. Lee statue pedestal in Richmond, governor says”, in CNN, archived from the original on 12 Jun 2025:
"It’s an old, old story. We’ve all placed people on pedestals, and then, almost inevitably, they let us down. They violate our trust. They betray us. They fall off the pedestal, or we remove them."
— 2012 August 31, Todd Leopold, “When the hero falls off the pedestal”, in CNN, archived from the original on 13 Oct 2022:
"But India is also where the Mahatma may have fallen furthest from the pedestal."
— 2019 October 2, Lauren Frayer, “Gandhi Is Deeply Revered, But His Attitudes On Race And Sex Are Under Scrutiny”, in NPR, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2020:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The museum placed the ancient statue on a marble ____ to display it at eye level.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The statue was placed on a tall marble ____ in the center of the town square.