What does chandelier mean?
A chandelier is an ornamental light fixture that hangs from a ceiling, typically featuring several branches or arms arranged around a central stem, each supporting a light source. In earlier centuries these were candles; today they almost always hold electric bulbs, often concealed behind glass shades or set among cut-crystal pendants that scatter and refract the light. Chandeliers range from modest fixtures suited to dining rooms to monumental works of glasswork filling cathedral naves and opera houses. Because of their cost and visual drama, they carry strong connotations of luxury, formality, and old-world elegance — the word readily evokes ballrooms, grand foyers, and stately interiors. Derived from the French word for candlestick, it entered English in the late seventeenth century. Beyond lighting, the term appears in phrases like 'crystal chandelier' and even describes a style of long, dangling earring.
nounA large, decorative hanging light fixture with branches or arms that hold candles or, in modern versions, electric bulbs, typically suspended from a ceiling by a chain or cord.
- An ornate hanging light fixture with multiple branches for candles or electric lights, suspended from a ceiling.
- By extension, any elaborate multi-armed pendant lighting fixture.
"A crystal chandelier glittered above the ballroom floor."
"The crystal chandelier cast dancing patterns of light across the marble foyer."
"She reached up to dust each arm of the antique chandelier."
Standard regular plural.
"The palace's state rooms are lit by dozens of gilded chandeliers."
The word 'chandelier' literally comes from the French for candlestick — before electricity, its arms really did hold open flames.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chandelier
Chandelier comes from Old French chandelier, meaning 'candlestick', which itself derives from Late Latin candelarius, from candela ('candle'), rooted in candere, 'to shine or glow'. English borrowed the word in the late seventeenth century as multi-armed hanging candleholders became fashionable in wealthy European homes. The same Latin root gives English both candle and chandler (a dealer in candles and other goods), making them true etymological cousins of the modern chandelier.
How chandelier is actually used
Chandelier carries connotations of elegance, grandeur, and formality, and is strongly associated with stately homes, ballrooms, theatres, churches, and upscale hotels. It is a neutral, standard word in both British and American English. The plural is chandeliers.
Easily confused with chandelier
Candelabra are branched candle holders designed to stand on a surface such as a table, whereas a chandelier hangs from the ceiling.