Definition of basilica
1 : an oblong building ending in a semicircular apse used in ancient Rome especially for a court of justice and place of public assembly
2 : an early Christian church building consisting of nave and aisles with clerestory and a large high transept from which an apse projects
3 : a Roman Catholic church given ceremonial privileges
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Recent Examples of basilica from the Web
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One places a shawl over her head and briefly kneels to make the sign of the cross, her eyes fixed on a glimmering 9th century mosaic above the basilica's Imperial Door.
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The Best Vogue Weddings include nuptials on the shores of Patagonia with a nod to Star Wars, a Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown in a Roman basilica, the ultimate New York City wedding, a three-day extravaganza in India, and much more.
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After a service at San Bartolomeo all’Isola, a little 10th-century basilica on an island in the Tiber, Gianni hosted a small reception for family members at his house in Trastevere.
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After a service at San Bartolomeo all’Isola, a little 10th-century basilica on an island in the Tiber, Gianni hosted a small reception for family members at his house in Trastevere.
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After a service at San Bartolomeo all’Isola, a little 10th-century basilica on an island in the Tiber, Gianni hosted a small reception for family members at his house in Trastevere.
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A grand Italian basilica devoted to John Bosco, a 19th-century saint, has become an active crime scene.
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The first church on record at this site was built in 1033, but ruins of a 5th-century basilica can be found here, as well—though scholars are not sure about its history, nor that of the earlier structures that also occupy the grounds.
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On that site, Mexicans built a basilica church in 1709 and later a more modern church beside it that opened in 1974.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'basilica.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
From their noun basileus, meaning “king,” the Greeks derived the adjective basilikos meaning “royal.” In ancient Thera there was a public building called “Basilike stoa,” or Royal portico, and it may have been the prototype of later Roman basilicas. The first of these was built in 184 ce, and by the time of Augustus, there were five basilicas in the vicinity of the forum. They were used for public assembly, transacting business, and judicial proceedings. When the first Christian churches were built, they were often modeled after the civil basilicas.
Origin and Etymology of basilica
borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek basilikḗ (for basilikḗ stoá “royal stoa”), noun derivative from feminine of basilikós “of a king, royal,” from basil- (base of basileús “king, prince,” of pre-Greek substratal origin) + -ikos 1-ic
BASILICA Defined for English Language Learners
basilica
playDefinition of basilica for English Language Learners
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: a large church that has a long central part that ends in a curved wall
Learn More about basilica
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Spanish Central: Translation of basilica Nglish: Translation of basilica for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about basilica
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