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

By Adam Robb July 25, 2024 6:50 AM EDT At the end of World War II, Western allies feared that razing the largest German Army bunker in Hamburg, a hulking concrete edifice that doubled as an anti-aircraft tower and civilian shelter, might risk destroying the surrounding St. Pauli neighborhood. —Adam Robb, TIME, 25 July 2024

So many of the magnificent edifices of government and education in Britain were built on this loot. —Abraham Verghese, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024

László fulfills this impossible mission by designing a spare, elegant edifice that can do it all. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Sep. 2024

In 1952, Frank Lloyd Wright designed his last building in Los Angeles, the Anderton Court Shops, a three-story retail edifice on Rodeo Drive. —Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 8 Aug. 2024

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)