Synonyms of edifice

edifice

noun

ˈe-də-fəs 

1

as in tower

a large, magnificent, or massive building

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tower
• cathedral
• structure
• palace
• hall
• monument
• mansion
• construction
• erection
• castle
• estate
• manor
• memorial
• mausoleum
• villa
• château
• hacienda
• manor house
• showplace
• countryseat

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• building
• structure
• house
• hut
• construction
• cottage
• erection
• tower
• cabin
• shed
• castle
• bungalow
• shack
• mansion
• skyscraper
• hovel
• shanty
• chalet
• palace
• lodge
• pile
• château
• villa
• manor
• summerhouse
• estate
• hall
• hutment

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• structure
• architecture
• framework
• infrastructure
• skeleton
• fabric
• shell
• frame
• configuration
• framing
• shape
• armature
• network
• cadre
• lattice
• outline
• cage
• contour
• profile
• figure
• silhouette
• chassis

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of edifice

Klepach’s criticism was a modest gesture of public dissent against an edifice of power that remains more than formidable. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026

Peter Zumthor’s design hoists a serpentine platform atop pavilions that read like stout, truncated legs, making the edifice almost creaturely in its architectural stance. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

To achieve freedom, then, is to escape character, and with it the whole edifice of novelistic contrivance. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Built in 1829 as a seminary, the Colonial-style edifice went on to become a country club, then faculty housing for nearby Bennington College, and later a private home, remaining in the same family’s care for some six decades. — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026