A column is a tall, vertical structure that supports something above it, like a roof or ceiling. Ancient Greek and Roman temples featured massive stone columns that held up their roofs, and architects still use columns today in buildings like museums, courthouses, and memorials. Some columns are plain and practical, while others feature decorative details at the top called capitals.

The word also describes anything arranged in a vertical line. A column of numbers runs straight down a page, like the numbers in a math worksheet or a list of prices. When soldiers march in a column, they walk in a long, narrow line, one behind another. You might also read a newspaper column, which is a vertical section of text on the page, or a regular article by the same writer (like an advice column).

In a spreadsheet, columns run up and down (while rows go side to side). If you're organizing data about your classmates, you might put names in column A, ages in column B, and favorite subjects in column C.