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

The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026

If your budget stretches to it, the 6,700-square-foot Royal Suite sprawls across the entire top floor of the building closest to the sea, with endless ocean views and multiple terraces featuring an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026

Evelyn, a migrant from the Philippines who slept in the bus station with her children during the war, described how, in an industry as intimate as caregiving, working with elderly people who struggle to make it to a shelter, workers can feel pressured to stay in the building during an attack. —Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026

Many possible sites are left as vacant lots or underutilized buildings because of it. —Chicago Tribune, 27 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