1
: building
especially
: a large or massive structure
2
: a large abstract structure
… holds together the social edifice …—
R. H. Tawney
R. H. TawneyExamples 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
The edifice boasts an abundance of sculpted decoration, while its grand staircase echoes Michelangelo’s design for the Laurentian Library in Florence.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026
Gazing out the window on approach to Salt Lake City’s sprawling semi-new international transportation edifice, Lamar Skeeter ponders his trail mirroring the rugged terrain surrounding the area below.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
The edifice may at first appear to have realized the modernist dream of injecting avant-garde art into everyday life, but its architects’ intention that the building serve only the glitterati of its day evacuated this modernist aesthetic of the socialist ideals typically underpinning it.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Inaugurated in 1897, this grand classical edifice has had its ups and downs, much like the city itself.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for edifice
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Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026
Gazing out the window on approach to Salt Lake City’s sprawling semi-new international transportation edifice, Lamar Skeeter ponders his trail mirroring the rugged terrain surrounding the area below.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
The edifice may at first appear to have realized the modernist dream of injecting avant-garde art into everyday life, but its architects’ intention that the building serve only the glitterati of its day evacuated this modernist aesthetic of the socialist ideals typically underpinning it.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Inaugurated in 1897, this grand classical edifice has had its ups and downs, much like the city itself.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for edifice
Cite this Entry
“Edifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edifice. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
edifice
noun
ed·i·fice
ˈed-ə-fəs 
: building sense 1
especially
: a large or impressive building (as a church)
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