What does pediment mean?
A pediment is the triangular architectural feature that crowns the front of a building, especially a temple or other classical structure. It forms a visual cap above the façade and may be left plain, filled with relief sculpture, or divided by decorative architectural members. Pediments were especially prominent in ancient Greek and Roman buildings and were later adopted in European classical and neoclassical architecture. The term is also used for the sculpted space or framework within the triangle, as in the phrase a richly decorated pediment. Today, pediment commonly refers to the triangular outline of a building front, while pedimental is the adjective describing its architectural details. The word is associated with symmetry, monumentality, and the classical tradition, although modern architecture also uses triangular pediments in simplified or unconventional forms.
nounA pediment is the triangular gable or decorative upper framework crowning the façade of a building, especially in classical architecture. It may be a plain architectural feature or an ornate sculpture-filled pediment.
- A triangular gable or decorative framework crowning the front of a building, especially in classical architecture.
- An ornamental triangular feature filled with carving or sculpture, often depicting mythological or symbolic subjects.
"The white marble pediment was carved with figures from Greek mythology."
"The temple's broad pediment gives the entrance a formal, classical appearance."
"A restored pediment above the station now displays the original stone carvings."
The regular plural is pediments, used when referring to multiple architectural features or structures.
"Carved pediments decorate the entrances of several buildings on the square."
The pediment is architecture’s crowning jewel: a triangular frame that can turn a building's roofline into a stage for sculpture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of pediment
The English word comes through French from Latin pedimentum, a term associated with pedem, meaning “foot,” probably referring to the lower or foot-like part of a structure. The same Latin root appears in English words such as pedal, pedestal, pedestrian, and pedometer, all connected with the foot or walking.
Related word forms
How pediment is actually used
Pediment is primarily an architectural term and is most common in descriptions of classical, neoclassical, and revival architecture. The related adjective pedimental describes features belonging to or characteristic of a pediment.
Easily confused with pediment
A pediment crowns a building's façade, whereas a pedestal is the supporting base or column on which an object stands.