edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈe-də-fəs 

1

: building

especially : a large or massive structure

2

: a large abstract structure

holds together the social edifice

—R. H. Tawney

Synonyms

• cathedral
• hall
• palace
• tower

Examples of edifice in a Sentence

a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling

the U.S. Capitol is one of our nation's most impressive edifices

Recent Examples on the Web

The edifice underwent a $275 million renovation after the journalism museum shuttered in 2019. —Nick Anderson, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023

It had been built as a Masonic Temple, but by 1969 that edifice of secrecy had become the coolest rock and roll club and venue in town, the Rock Pile. —Geddy Lee, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023

The agency’s current headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover building, a hulking edifice that occupies an entire block of prime real estate in downtown Washington, is falling apart and doesn’t meet the agency’s security requirements. —Erin Cox, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2023

Vegas should enjoy this new item now as a similar edifice will soon be built in East London. —Lisa Kaas Boyle, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023

In 1925, his government purchased a new Embassy in London, a four-story mid-Victorian edifice at Princes Gate, across Kensington Road from Hyde Park, near the Royal Albert Hall. —Steve Coll, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2023

The exchange’s broad edifice includes two surprising and potentially shaky pillars. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2023

The unfinished edifice was regarded as an eyesore by those who encountered it day in and day out. —Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2023

The building, despite being just three levels, appears to resemble a four- or 4.5-story edifice, thanks to the towering 22-foot ceilings of each unit. —Megan Johnson, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aedificium, from aedificare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈed-ə-fəs 

: building sense 1

especially : a large or impressive building (as a church)