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
R. H. Tawney
Synonyms
- cathedral
- hall
- palace
- tower
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 From the get-go, the Belnord was a newsmaker — an edifice of excess, a home for hyperbole. New York Times, 27 June 2022 For starters, in most constitutional cases courts only have the power to strike down a law—that is, to destroy an edifice that the legislature has built. WSJ, 5 May 2022 The blaring, martial horn intro that marked Superman's arrival on the scene carries with it the entire edifice of American nostalgia. Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 23 Aug. 2022 The Owens are trying to create a legacy that will endure as long as the edifice itself. cleveland, 15 Aug. 2022 Closed for extensive renovation since 2018, the Oz-like edifice welcomed more than 100,000 visitors during a public open house. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 The veils slip away; the edifice itself might crumble. Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022 Yet, investors fear that the entire edifice is built on a shaky foundation. R. Mukund, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022 Once those two clubs withdrew, the rest of the English teams followed, prompting the entire edifice to fall apart. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 31 Dec. 2021 See More
New York Times, 27 June 2022 For starters, in most constitutional cases courts only have the power to strike down a law—that is, to destroy an edifice that the legislature has built. WSJ, 5 May 2022 The blaring, martial horn intro that marked Superman's arrival on the scene carries with it the entire edifice of American nostalgia. Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 23 Aug. 2022 The Owens are trying to create a legacy that will endure as long as the edifice itself. cleveland, 15 Aug. 2022 Closed for extensive renovation since 2018, the Oz-like edifice welcomed more than 100,000 visitors during a public open house. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 The veils slip away; the edifice itself might crumble. Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022 Yet, investors fear that the entire edifice is built on a shaky foundation. R. Mukund, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022 Once those two clubs withdrew, the rest of the English teams followed, prompting the entire edifice to fall apart. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 31 Dec. 2021 See More 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 ˈe-də-fəs
: a large or impressive building
edifices
noun
1
as in towers
a large, magnificent, or massive building the U.S. Capitol is one of our nation's most impressive edifices Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- towers
- cathedrals
- structures
- palaces
- monuments
- halls
- mansions
- constructions
- castles
- estates
- manors
- mausoleums
- memorials
- villas
- showplaces
- erections
- haciendas
- châteaus
- châteaux
- mausolea
- manor houses
- countryseats
2
as in buildings
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 & Similar Words
- buildings
- structures
- houses
- huts
- cottages
- constructions
- towers
- castles
- cabins
- mansions
- skyscrapers
- palaces
- hovels
- shacks
- erections
- bungalows
- sheds
- villas
- shanties
- chalets
- manors
- piles
- lodges
- estates
- summerhouses
- halls
- hutments
- châteaus
- châteaux
3
as in structures
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 & Similar Words
- structures
- architectures
- frameworks
- infrastructures
- skeletons
- fabrics
- cadres
- framings
- shells
- frames
- armatures
- shapes
- figures
- lattices
- cages
- networks
- configurations
- contours
- silhouettes
- outlines
- profiles
- chassis
- megaloblasts
- megalocardias
- megalocephalic
- megalocephalies
- megalocephalous
- megalocephaly
- Megaloceros
- megalocytes
- megalomania
- megalomaniac
- megalomaniacal
- megalomaniacally
- megalomaniacs
- megalomanias
- megalomanic
- megalonychidaes
- Megalonyx
- megalopa
- megalopic
- megalopine
- megalopolis
- megalopolises
- megalopolitan
- megalopolitanism
- megalopolitans