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

Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows offer picturesque beach views, but also reduce the building’s energy footprint. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

In Bucha, three homes, warehouse facilities and non-residential buildings were damaged, Kalashnyk said. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026

The Patriot Rail’s Cowlitz County and Columbia Railway warehouse and locomotive repair shop building, where the fire originated, was a total loss. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 May 2026

The fire, which rose to a 2-11 alarm, spread to two separate buildings, one to the north and another to the south, authorities said. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 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