building

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

Synonyms

• structure
• house
• edifice

Examples of building in a Sentence

My office is in that small brick building.

We bought the land for building.

Recent Examples on the Web

There is also much on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the Manhattan Project in building and testing the weapon at Los Alamos. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Their high-quality control signal and camera resolution allows them to be maneuvered with pinpoint accuracy into tight areas, such as buildings and bunkers, that normal first-person-view drones, which rely on radio, cannot access. —Eric Schmidt, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2025

The strategic development plan team created this list of projects by evaluating park buildings and spaces, reviewing public comments during the recent multimodal study and consulting with staff. —Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Parking The partnership with the state fair has brought dedicated funding for capital improvements that include new buildings and infrastructure. —Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

• apartment building
• building block
• building society
• sick building syndrome
• 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