chandelier

chandelier — noun

1. A decorative ceiling fixture with several branching arms that hold bulbs or cand

1.nounB2
Definition

A decorative ceiling fixture with several branching arms that hold bulbs or candles, often made of crystal or glass and commonly found in formal dining rooms or grand entrance halls.

Example

At the wedding reception, the ballroom's crystal chandelier sparkled brightly above the dance floor.

crystal chandelier — typical material collocation

Aiko carefully cleaned each glass tear on the old chandelier with a soft cloth.

Common collocations
  • crystal chandelier
  • antique chandelier
  • glass chandelier
  • ornate chandelier
  • switch on a chandelier
  • clean a chandelier
  • hang a chandelier
Synonyms
  • pendant light

    a hanging light that usually has a single bulb, lacking the branched arms of a chandelier

  • candelabra

    a branched stand for candles that sits on a table or floor, not hung from the ceiling

  • lantern

    an enclosed light source, often portable or wall-mounted, with a different shape

Usage Note

Always a countable noun. In descriptions, the material (crystal, glass, iron, brass) or style (antique, ornate, modern) is frequently mentioned.

Common Mistakes

They installed a beautiful chandelier lamp in the lobby.
They installed a beautiful chandelier in the lobby.
A chandelier is a type of light fixture itself, so adding 'lamp' is redundant.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Chandelier, pendant light, candelabra, and lantern all refer to light sources but differ in form and placement. A chandelier is a branched ceiling fixture holding multiple bulbs or candles — often ornate and found in formal settings such as ballrooms or hotel lobbies. A pendant light is simpler: a single bulb or cluster hanging from a cord without branching arms. A candelabra is a branched holder for candles that stands on a table or floor, not suspended from above. A lantern is an enclosed light source with glass panels, historically portable or fixed to a wall. For instance, a crystal chandelier hangs in a grand dining room, a metal pendant light sits above a kitchen island, a silver candelabra decorates a dinner table, and a paper lantern glows at a night market.

chandelier ↗pendant lightcandelabralantern ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • from the ceiling
  • in the dining room
  • above the table

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Chandelier entered English from French, where it originally meant 'candlestick' or 'holder for candles'. The French word came from Latin 'candelabrum', itself from 'candela' ('candle'), which traces back to the Latin verb 'candēre' ('to shine' or 'to glow'). The modern meaning of a branched ceiling light fixture developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, when candle-holding chandeliers were later adapted to use electric bulbs.