column

column — noun

1. One of the tall, narrow text sections that make up a printed page in a newspaper

1.nounB2
Definition

One of the tall, narrow text sections that make up a printed page in a newspaper or journal, arranged side by side so that readers scan down each section separately.

Example

The article ran across three columns on the front page of the morning paper.

collocation: across + number + columns

Beatriz found the announcement in the right-hand column of the local newspaper.

Common collocations
  • across + number + columns
  • in the left-hand/right-hand column
  • three-column / four-column layout
  • front-page column
  • column inch
  • column width
Synonyms
  • section

    less specific — a section can be horizontal or vertical

  • strip

    emphasises the narrow, rectangular shape

Usage Note

Often used with a number to indicate width: a three-column layout, a five-column table. Can also be used attributively in compound nouns: column width, column inch.

Common Mistakes

She wrote a column about gardening.' (when meaning a regular article).
She wrote a gardening column.
Sense 1 refers to the physical text block on a page, not the article content. For the regular article, see sense 2.

2. A writer's regular contribution that appears in a printed or online periodical,

2.nounB2
Definition

A writer's regular contribution that appears in a printed or online periodical, running on a fixed schedule and typically covering a single subject area.

Example

Ravi writes a weekly column about environmental issues for the local paper.

collocation: write(s) a + [frequency] + column about + [topic]

The editor asked Hana to contribute a monthly column on parenting advice.

Common collocations
  • write a column
  • contribute a column
  • weekly / monthly / daily column
  • opinion column
  • advice column
  • gossip column
  • column on + [topic]
  • column by + [writer]
Synonyms
  • article

    broader — any piece of writing, not necessarily regular or by the same author

  • feature

    usually longer and more in-depth than a typical column

  • editorial

    specifically expresses the newspaper's official opinion, not a personal columnist's view

Usage Note

Frequently preceded by a possessive noun or the writer's name + apostrophe-s (Ravi's column, the editor's column). Common modifiers specify frequency: weekly column, monthly column, regular column.

Common Mistakes

I read an interesting column in the science section.' (ambiguous).
I read an interesting column by Dr. Chen in the science section.
Specify the author to avoid confusion with sense 1.

3. A set of words, numbers, or data running from top to bottom on a page, computer

3.nounC1
Definition

A set of words, numbers, or data running from top to bottom on a page, computer screen, or inside a table or spreadsheet.

Example

The spreadsheet has one column for product names and another for prices.

collocation: column for + [data type]

Enter your name in the first column and your email address in the second column.

Common collocations
  • column for + [data type]
  • in the first / second / third column
  • column by column
  • column header / heading
  • column A / B / C
  • spreadsheet column
  • data column
Synonyms
  • vertical line

    everyday language, less technical

  • field

    database-specific term for a single category of data

Antonyms
  • row

    horizontal arrangement of data

Usage Note

Common in computing and data-entry contexts. Contrasts with row (horizontal): a row runs left to right while a column runs top to bottom. In databases, often called a field.

Common Mistakes

Put the names in the top row and the prices in the bottom row.' (confusing row and column).
Put the names in the left column and the prices in the right column.
A column runs vertically; a row runs horizontally.

4. A tall vertical post, usually carved from stone, that supports part of a structu

4.nounB2
Definition

A tall vertical post, usually carved from stone, that supports part of a structure such as a roof or balcony, or that is erected by itself to honour a person or event.

Example

The ancient temple was supported by twelve marble columns carved with flowers.

passive: was supported by + [number] + [material] + columns

White stone columns line the front of the government building in the square.

Common collocations
  • marble / stone / granite / wooden column
  • row of columns
  • carved column
  • column supports + [structure]
  • classical column
  • Nelson's Column
  • Corinthian / Doric / Ionic column
Synonyms
  • pillar

    very close in meaning; pillar can be made of any strong material and may also be metaphorical (a pillar of society)

  • post

    simpler and less decorative — often a plain piece of wood or metal

  • pilaster

    a decorative column attached to a wall, not freestanding

Usage Note

In classical architecture, columns typically consist of three parts: base, shaft, and capital. Common types include Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Frequently used with material adjectives: marble column, granite column, wooden column.

Common Mistakes

The pillar of the spreadsheet shows the dates.' (confusing architectural and data senses).
The marble column at the entrance is over two thousand years old.
Use pillar or column for architecture; use column only in the data sense for tables.

5. Something that has a long, thin, upright shape, similar to a pillar — for exampl

5.nounB1
Definition

Something that has a long, thin, upright shape, similar to a pillar — for example, smoke rising straight up, a narrow stream of liquid, or a tall geological formation.

Example

A thin column of smoke rose from the chimney into the cold evening sky.

pattern: column of + [substance]

A column of water shot up from the broken pipe in the street below.

Common collocations
  • column of smoke
  • column of water
  • column of air
  • column of dust
  • narrow column
  • thin column
  • vertical column
Synonyms
  • plume

    specifically of smoke, steam, or feathers — wider at the top

  • shaft

    emphasises a straight, narrow form, often of light or a solid object

  • pillar

    can be used metaphorically for shapes (a pillar of smoke) but less common than column

Usage Note

Most common in the pattern column of + [substance] (air, smoke, water, dust, fire, gas). The substance is typically something that can form a vertical stream or shape. Distinguished from sense 4 in that these columns are not man-made architectural structures.

6. A long, single-file arrangement of people, vehicles, or soldiers moving forward

6.nounB1
Definition

A long, single-file arrangement of people, vehicles, or soldiers moving forward one behind another.

Example

A column of army trucks drove slowly along the narrow road toward the base.

pattern: column of + [vehicles]

The marching band formed a column that stretched across the entire football field.

Common collocations
  • column of + [people/vehicles/soldiers]
  • single column
  • march in column
  • column formation
  • fifth column (idiomatic)
Synonyms
  • line

    more general; can be single file or side by side

  • file

    specifically single file, one behind another; common in military and marching contexts

  • procession

    slow, ceremonial movement of people or vehicles

Antonyms
  • row

    side-by-side arrangement, not single file

Usage Note

In military contexts, a column moves in single file (one behind another), contrasting with a line (side by side). For civilian traffic or pedestrians, column suggests a continuous, organised stream rather than a random crowd.

Common Mistakes

The students stood in a column facing the teacher.' (should be row).
The students stood in a column as they marched onto the field.
A column is one behind another (depth); a row is side by side (width).

Word family

  • columnist
    nounB2
  • columnar
    adjectiveC1
  • columned
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words refer to pieces of writing in a newspaper or magazine, but they differ in regularity, authorship, and purpose. A column is a regular piece by the same writer, appearing on a fixed schedule — it builds a personal connection with readers over time (e.g., a weekly advice column). An article is broader: any factual or informative piece, often reporting news or explaining a topic, and it may be written by different journalists each time. A feature is a longer, more in-depth article, usually with a human-interest angle or detailed analysis; it feels less urgent than a news article. An editorial represents the official position of the newspaper's editorial board, not an individual writer's view. For example: Leila's weekly column on food politics appears every Tuesday; a staff reporter wrote a news article about the new law; the Sunday edition included a feature on sustainable farming; and the editorial urged readers to vote in the local election.

column ↗article ↗feature ↗editorial ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • in a column
  • into columns

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word column comes from Latin columna, meaning 'a pillar' or 'a supporting post.' In ancient Rome, a columna was a tall stone structure that held up a roof or stood as a monument. The meaning later extended to describe anything tall and narrow that resembles a pillar — including text arranged vertically on a page (first recorded in English in the 1400s), smoke or water rising in a stream, and people or vehicles moving single file. The sense of a regular newspaper article appeared in the early 1800s, named after the vertical space it occupied on the printed page.