cathedral

1 of 2

adjective

ca·​the·​dral kə-ˈthē-drəl 

1

: of, relating to, or containing a cathedra

2

: emanating from a chair of authority

3

: suggestive of a cathedral

a cathedral grove of redwoods

cathedral

2 of 2

noun

1

: a church that is the official seat of a diocesan bishop

2

: something that resembles or suggests a cathedral (as in size or importance)

a cathedral of business

the sports cathedral

Illustration of cathedral

• cathedral 1

Synonyms of cathedral

Noun

• tower
• palace
• edifice

Examples of cathedral in a Sentence

Noun

the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Additionally, Russia has ramped up attacks on civilian centers usually considered off-limits in wartime, such as a 1,000-year-old cathedral and monastery complex in Kyiv that was bombed Sunday night, killing three people. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 June 2026

The cathedral, churches and other buildings overlook the Dnieper River and have been a pilgrimage site for centuries. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

Noun

Two thousand years later, the Melkite Archbishop of Tyre, Georges Eskandar, was saying mass in the stone cathedral with about one hundred people filling the pews. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 June 2026

Nations do not build cathedrals, win wars, or put things into orbit through a collection of talented individuals pursuing their own agendas. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cathedral

• cathedral ceiling

Rhymes for cathedral

• anhedral
• dihedral
• euhedral
• subhedral
• icosahedral
• octahedral
• polyhedral
• rhombohedral
• tetrahedral

Kids Definition

cathedral

noun

ca·​the·​dral

kə-ˈthē-drəl

: the principal church of a district headed by a bishop