1
as in tower
a large, magnificent, or massive building
the U.S. Capitol is one of our nation's most impressive edifices
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2
as in building
something built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity
the first edifices built by the colonists were primitive huts with walls of dried mud and roofs covered with thatch
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3
as in structure
the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form
the edifice of the argument is quite simple, once you get past the fancy language
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of edifice
These are observations that amount to light chipping away at a marble edifice that was built with other things in mind.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
In Lemann’s books, as in Joan Didion’s, the whole edifice is always beginning to crumble.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The store, a block-long edifice along Commerce Street with an in-house Starbucks coffeehouse and a movie theater around the corner, drew shoppers to whom the retailer had imparted happy memories.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Leaning against the brick edifice of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on the cast-iron corridor of West Main is a massive 120-foot-high steel replica of Babe Ruth's original Louisville Slugger bat.
—Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for edifice
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
In Lemann’s books, as in Joan Didion’s, the whole edifice is always beginning to crumble.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The store, a block-long edifice along Commerce Street with an in-house Starbucks coffeehouse and a movie theater around the corner, drew shoppers to whom the retailer had imparted happy memories.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Leaning against the brick edifice of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on the cast-iron corridor of West Main is a massive 120-foot-high steel replica of Babe Ruth's original Louisville Slugger bat.
—Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for edifice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for edifice
Noun
-
This zigzag course left behind a blend of tenants and owners in the western tower, while the eastern tower remained empty.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
The area is part of one of Manhattan’s busiest shopping and tourist corridors, lined with luxury retailers, office towers and hotels.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The spa The hotel offers spa services through The Spa at the Equinox gym, located on the fourth floor of the building.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
-
According to data from FertilityIQ, an educational platform for individuals and couples navigating infertility and family building, the average cost of IVF treatment and medication is more than $20,000.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The object no longer belongs to its origin or to its own agency, but to the structures that contain it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The fire has burned two historic structures on the island, which is home to rare plant species like the Torrey pine.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Danluck traveled to that cathedral, set up lights in the ruins, and built a scene around him — not to recreate the battle, but to recreate the feeling.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
This, of course, was Pussy Riot, the performance artists and anti–Vladimir Putin activists who, since 2012, have disrupted a World Cup final, a Winter Olympics, and—most famous and at great cost—a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Set the scene Grandeur, tradition, and Jazz Age architecture set the tone here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
Much more rarely — in fact, corresponding exactly to the release rate of movies by visionary German director Valeska Grisebach — the brilliance goes bone-deep, emerging from an astonishingly new and strange filmic architecture.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
But for all their differences, these presidents appeared to operate within a common political framework — one grounded in accountability to facts, responsibility for outcomes and acceptance of democratic processes.—
William Muck,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Mining disasters are common in China, where rapid industrialization came with intense resource exploitation, poor working conditions and a weak regulatory framework.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Edifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/edifice. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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