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

But Heder and the production team made a point of showing all of those, not just the stairs crafted to enter buildings, but putting the wheelchair-using cast in actual wheelchairs from the 1970s. — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026

Bilotti said his grandfather, Luciano Bilotti, and his brother Emil, operated a shoe store and repair business in the building. — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

Earlier this year, scientists revealed that a meteorite that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home in 2024 contained some of the chemical building blocks of life and was among the rarest space rocks ever recovered. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

But for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, that building — the first LDS temple in this area — symbolizes faith, hope and peace in an increasingly busy and fragmented world. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 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