edifice

1 a large, magnificent, or massive building the U.S. Capitol is one of our nation's most impressive edifices Synonyms cathedral, hall, palace, tower Related Words construction, erection, structure; castle, château, countryseat, estate, hacienda, manor, manor house, mansion, showplace, villa; mausoleum, memorial, monument

2 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 building, structureRelated Words construction, erection; bungalow, cabin, chalet, cottage, house, lodge, summerhouse; hovel, hut, hutment, shack, shanty, shed; castle, château, estate, hall, manor, mansion, palace, pile, villa; skyscraper, tower

3 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 architecture, armature, cadre, configuration, frame, fabric, framework, framing, infrastructure, shell, skeleton, structureRelated Words cage, lattice, network; contour, figure, outline, profile, shape, silhouette; chassis