edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈe-də-fəs 

1

: building

especially : a large or massive structure

2

: a large abstract structure

holds together the social edifice

—R. H. Tawney

Synonyms

• cathedral
• hall
• palace
• tower

Examples of edifice in a Sentence

a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling

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

Recent Examples on the Web

And technological advancements at the state-of-the-art edifice allow Cavil and her team to track each plot from vineyard to bottle. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2025

We’re stranded among the shards of civil rights but amid the edifices of the Black Arts Movement. —Wesley Morris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025

The Apollo is one of those edifices that will around not only for the rest of our lives, but the many to come after our lives are over. —Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025

What would this mean, structurally, for those shorter edifices? —Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aedificium, from aedificare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

edifice

noun

ed·​i·​fice ˈed-ə-fəs 

: building sense 1

especially : a large or impressive building (as a church)