cathedral

1 of 2

adjective

ca·​the·​dral kə-ˈthē-drəl How to pronounce cathedral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or containing a cathedra
2
: emanating from a chair of authority
3
: suggestive of a cathedral
a cathedral grove of redwoods

cathedral

2 of 2

noun

1
: a church that is the official seat of a diocesan bishop
2
: something that resembles or suggests a cathedral (as in size or importance)
a cathedral of business
the sports cathedral

Illustration of cathedral

Illustration of cathedral
  • cathedral 1

Examples of cathedral in a Sentence

Noun the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Read Next World Royal treasures hidden in cathedral crypt were lost for decades — until now. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025 While campaigning for Vice President Harris — who was also at the cathedral Thursday — Obama painted a stark picture of Trump as a villain who shouldn’t gain a second term in office. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
More than 170 proposals were submitted, including by famous architects like Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, who was in the midst of restoring Notre Dame cathedral. Elliott Verdier, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 Consider the Roman Catholic pageantry and aesthetic splendor of it all, with the ceremonial rites, the pilgrimages to grand cathedrals (St. Dolby’s, St. Beverly Hilton’s), lots of sermonizing, and even fast days. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cathedral 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cathedral was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cathedral

Cite this Entry

“Cathedral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathedral. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

cathedral

noun
ca·​the·​dral
kə-ˈthē-drəl
: the principal church of a district headed by a bishop

More from Merriam-Webster on cathedral

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