Illustration of pilaster
- 1 pilaster
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
pi-ˈla-stər 
ˈpī-ˌla-
ˈpī-ˌla-
: an upright architectural member that is rectangular in plan and is structurally a pier but architecturally treated as a column and that usually projects a third of its width or less from the wall
Examples of pilaster in a Sentence
the rectangular pilasters spaced along the building's facade lend an air of classical grandeur
Recent Examples on the Web
There are showstoppers, like the Zaveri house (also known as the House with 365 Windows) which is now stained black with grit, its grand pilasters and geometric facade carvings in dire need of restoration, and the Teen Khuniya (or Three-Cornered House), with its distinctive triangular layout.
—
Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Designed to evoke the Pantheon, the rotunda’s curved sandstone walls are divided by fluted Doric pilasters with wreaths of olive branches carved in the frieze above.
—Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
Though more stately in its setting of classical pilasters and marble floors, the lobby El Bar del Majestic is pretty hopping too with live piano music.
—John Oseid, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Rising above the great staircase is a builder’s catalogue of pilasters, cornices, corners, lion’s heads, dentils, robed muses, medallions, scrolls, and arched niches.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Dec. 2024
At the southern terminus of Rossmore Avenue at Wilshire Boulevard, unceremoniously sandwiched between a couple of unremarkable low-rise office buildings stand two huge stone towers embellished with flamboyant Corinthian pilasters that mark the entrance to L.A.’s first gated community.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2024
Each section of the building’s exterior is paired with a layer of terra-cotta pilasters that don both the east and west façades of the tower, giving it a glamorous aged feel without overdoing it.
—Jessica Cherner, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
Highlights of the home include a fireside grand salon, an art gallery that doubles as a safe room, and a movie theater festooned with black marble fluted pilasters and red velvet seats.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024
On small pilasters sit 200-pound beach balls, cast in bronze and painted to match the room.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2024
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Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Designed to evoke the Pantheon, the rotunda’s curved sandstone walls are divided by fluted Doric pilasters with wreaths of olive branches carved in the frieze above.
—Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
Though more stately in its setting of classical pilasters and marble floors, the lobby El Bar del Majestic is pretty hopping too with live piano music.
—John Oseid, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Rising above the great staircase is a builder’s catalogue of pilasters, cornices, corners, lion’s heads, dentils, robed muses, medallions, scrolls, and arched niches.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Dec. 2024
At the southern terminus of Rossmore Avenue at Wilshire Boulevard, unceremoniously sandwiched between a couple of unremarkable low-rise office buildings stand two huge stone towers embellished with flamboyant Corinthian pilasters that mark the entrance to L.A.’s first gated community.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2024
Each section of the building’s exterior is paired with a layer of terra-cotta pilasters that don both the east and west façades of the tower, giving it a glamorous aged feel without overdoing it.
—Jessica Cherner, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
Highlights of the home include a fireside grand salon, an art gallery that doubles as a safe room, and a movie theater festooned with black marble fluted pilasters and red velvet seats.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024
On small pilasters sit 200-pound beach balls, cast in bronze and painted to match the room.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Pilaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilaster. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
ˈpī-ˌlas-tər
: an upright rectangular column that ornaments or helps to support a wall from which it sticks out slightly
Medical Definition
pilaster
noun
pi·las·ter
pi-ˈlas-tər
: an elongated hardened ridge
especially
: a longitudinal bony ridge on the back of the femur
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