pew

noun

ˈpyü How to pronounce pew (audio)
1
: a compartment in the auditorium of a church providing seats for several persons
2
: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors fixed in rows in a church

Examples of pew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The television ad begins with a dark video of an empty swing and the faint sound of children’s voices in the background, then shifts to footage of vacant pews inside a church. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026 First came the stunned churchgoers surrounding the lifeless body lying under a pew. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Aparico, also in a My Chemical Romance T-shirt, was situated at the back of the pews projecting a PowerPoint presentation. — Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Whitney Anderson repurposed many of the elements of the old church into her renovation, including using wood from the building's old pews in her furniture. — Jennifer Liu valentina Duarte, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pew

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pewe, from Middle French dialect (Picardy) puie balustrade, from Latin podia, plural of podium parapet, podium, from Greek podion base, diminutive of pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pew was in the 14th century

Rhymes for pew

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Browse Nearby Words

pevy
pew
pewage
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Cite this Entry

“Pew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pew. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pew

noun
ˈpyü How to pronounce pew (audio)
: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors set in rows in a church

More from Merriam-Webster on pew

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pew

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