building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a usually roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)

2

: the art or business of assembling materials into a structure

Synonyms of building

• structure
• house
• edifice

Examples of building in a Sentence

My office is in that small brick building.

We bought the land for building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Housed in the 23,000- square-foot 1903 Seminole Club building, Sweet Pete’s claims to be one of the largest candy shops in the United States. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025

If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025

In November 1996, 41 people were killed in a level-5 blaze that engulfed a commercial building in Kowloon for nearly 20 hours. —John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

The property stretches across two 19th-century waterfront buildings—one a townhome, the other a warehouse (which is topped with a steel extension). —Liam Hess, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

• apartment building
• building block
• building society
• sick building syndrome
• world building

Rhymes for building

• gilding
• boatbuilding
• outbuilding
• rebuilding
• roadbuilding
• shipbuilding
• upbuilding
• bodybuilding

Kids Definition

building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a permanent structure built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity or for storage

an office building

2

: the art, work, or business of assembling materials into a structure