edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈe-də-fəs 

1

: building

especially : a large or massive structure

2

: a large abstract structure

… holds together the social edifice …

—R. H. Tawney

Synonyms of edifice

• tower
• cathedral
• structure

Examples of edifice in a Sentence

a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling

the U.S. Capitol is one of our nation's most impressive edifices

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaning against the brick edifice of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on the cast-iron corridor of West Main is a massive 120-foot-high steel replica of Babe Ruth's original Louisville Slugger bat. —Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026

There’s little danger, in other words, that the whole edifice of math could come crashing down. —Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026

One flirts and drinks and dallies and dances; the other is part child, part monk, his mantel packed with icons and crucifixes, his inner landscape a kind of mental Sagrada Família — a weird and extraordinary edifice constructed around the rigors and promises of Christianity. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

By packing the 20-year-old arena to the tune of 19,478 against the Heat, the Hornets tied the franchise’s single-season record for sellouts at the edifice at the corner of Trade and Caldwell with 16. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aedificium, from aedificare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈed-ə-fəs 

: building sense 1

especially : a large or impressive building (as a church)