What does colonnade mean?
A colonnade is a long, regular row of columns — usually evenly spaced — that supports a roof, an entablature, or a series of arches. Colonnades are among the most recognisable features of classical architecture, appearing on Greek temples, Roman forums, Renaissance palaces, and civic buildings around the world. They may form the front of a building, enclose a courtyard, or create a shaded walkway open on one side; when a colonnade surrounds a space entirely it is called a peristyle. The word carries connotations of grandeur, order, and dignity, which is why architects have used it for courthouses, museums, churches, and monuments for centuries. In everyday use, 'colonnade' appears mostly in travel writing, art history, and descriptions of landmarks, from St. Peter's Square in Rome to colonial-era verandas. Its plural is colonnades, and the adjective colonnaded describes anything framed or bordered by such a row of columns.
nounA row or sequence of columns supporting a roof, entablature, or arches, typically forming the façade of a building or a covered walkway.
- A long row of columns, usually evenly spaced, supporting a roof, entablature, or arches.
- A covered walkway or gallery formed by such a row of columns on one side.
"The visitors strolled along the grand colonnade, admiring the play of light between the marble pillars."
"The museum's entrance is framed by an elegant colonnade of Doric columns."
"Shoppers paused in the shade of the old stone colonnade lining the piazza."
Standard English plural; used when referring to multiple rows of columns or several colonnaded structures.
"The city's neoclassical squares are famous for their sweeping colonnades."
St. Peter's Square in Rome is framed by a colonnade so vast — four columns deep, nearly 300 metres long — that it seems to embrace everyone standing inside it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colonnade
'Colonnade' entered English in the early 18th century from French 'colonnade', which derives from Italian 'colonnata', built on 'colonna', meaning column. The ultimate root is Latin 'columna', also the source of English 'column'. Cognates include French 'colonnade' and Italian 'colonnato'; the related English adjective 'colonnaded' describes structures framed by rows of columns.
Related word forms
How colonnade is actually used
Formal to neutral register; chiefly architectural vocabulary but common enough in travel writing and descriptions of public buildings. Plural: colonnades.
Easily confused with colonnade
A portico is a single porch structure at a building's entrance, whereas a colonnade is a continuous row of columns, often much longer and sometimes freestanding.