building

1 of 2

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a usually roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)

2

: the art or business of assembling materials into a structure

building

2 of 2

present participle of build entry 1

Synonyms of building

Noun

• structure
• house
• edifice

Examples of building in a Sentence

Noun

My office is in that small brick building.

We bought the land for building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This would be an intense time of building, assembling art and art cars, and a lot of people just have not been able to get any work done on their projects. — Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026

Fourteen years after geeking out over his MSG debut, Styles, now 32, commanded the storied building with new authority, electricity, and dazzling production value that elevated it above any of the six shows of his I’ve seen before. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026

For decades, engineers in Japan, Croatia, and other major bridge-building countries studied concrete arches with spans approaching 600 meters. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Most typically involve a single building, but the Cheney complex is rare because scores of original factories and worker homes have been saved. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bildyng, buldyng, from bilden, buylden, bulden "to build entry 1" + -yng -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

• apartment building
• building block
• building society
• sick building syndrome
• team building
• world building

Rhymes for building

• gilding
• boatbuilding
• outbuilding
• rebuilding
• roadbuilding
• shipbuilding
• upbuilding
• bodybuilding

Kids Definition

building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a permanent structure built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity or for storage

an office building

2

: the art, work, or business of assembling materials into a structure