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 of edifice

• tower
• cathedral
• structure

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

In a provocation to the Forest Service officers monitoring the blockade, the slightest nudging threatened to send the edifice crashing to the ground and Tubbs to his maiming or death. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

The 1963 demolition of the original Penn Station, one of the great 20th century American edifices, was a ghastly mistake that New York has lived with and tried to correct for six decades. — Andy Byford, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Internal balconies were illuminated by faint blue lights in constellation displays, half-hidden among the foliage to create an illusion of the external edifice of some tropical villa. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026

The rest of the album splits the difference between this newfound scrappiness and the skyscraping edifices Madeon built his name on. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026

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)