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 of building

• 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

Additionally, the building offers a parking spot for two cars. —Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026

Past reporting has noted that the entrance of the building was changed to a different side. —Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026

An asteroid the size of a house exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk with the force of 440,000 tons of TNT, damaging buildings and injuring more than 1,600 people, according to NASA. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

One bill focuses on reducing construction costs by updating building codes. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bildyng, buldyng, from bilden, buylden, bulden "to build entry 1" + -yng -ing entry 1

First Known Use

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