edifice
Other forms: edifices
Edifice means a building, but it doesn't mean just any building. To merit being called an edifice, a building must be important. A small but elegant temple can be an edifice, and so can a towering sky scraper.
The meaning of edifice has expanded to include a system of ideas — when it is complicated enough to be considered to have walls and a roof, then it is an edifice. You could say that basic facts of addition and subtraction are the foundation on which the edifice of higher math rests.
Definitions of edifice
-
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place“it was an imposing edifice”synonyms: buildingexamples:Independence Hallthe building in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signedHouses of Parliamentthe building in which the House of Commons and the House of Lords meettypes:architecturean architectural product or workbowling alleya building that contains several alleys for bowlingchapterhousea building attached to a monastery or cathedral; used as a meeting place for the chapterdorm, dormitory, hall, residence hall, student residencea college or university building containing living quarters for studentsfarm buildinga building on a farmfeedlota building where livestock are fattened for marketfiretrapa building that would be hard to escape from if it were to catch firegambling den, gambling hell, gambling house, gaming housea public building in which a variety of games of chance can be played (operated as a business)government buildinga building that houses a branch of governmentglasshouse, greenhouse, nurserya building with glass walls and roof; for the cultivation and exhibition of plants under controlled conditionshalla large building for meetings or entertainmenthalla large building used by a college or university for teaching or researchHall of Famea building containing trophies honoring famous peoplehotela building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other serviceshousea dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more familieshousea building in which something is sheltered or locatedlibrarya building that houses a collection of books and other materialsministrybuilding where the business of a government department is transacteddead room, morgue, mortuarya building (or room) where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremationobservatorya building designed and equipped to observe astronomical phenomenaopium dena building where opium is sold and usedoutbuildinga building that is subordinate to and separate from a main buildingpackinghousea building where foodstuffs are processed and packedhouse of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worshipany building where congregations gather for prayerplanetariuma building housing an instrument for projecting the positions of the planets onto a domed ceilingpresbyterybuilding reserved for the officiating clergyrest housea building used for shelter by travelers (especially in areas where there are no hotels)Roman buildinga building constructed by the ancient Romansrotundaa building having a circular plan and a domeruina ruined buildingshooting gallerya building (usually abandoned) where drug addicts buy and use heroinsignal box, signal towera building from which signals are sent to control the movements of railway trainsskyscrapera very tall building with many storiesstudent uniona building on a college campus dedicated to social and organizational activities of the student bodytemplean edifice devoted to special or exalted purposeshouse, theater, theatrea building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presentedbagnio, bawdyhouse, bordello, brothel, cathouse, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, sporting housea building where prostitutes are availablemissiona building or compound used by a group carrying out religious and humanitarian workarena theater, theater in the rounda theater arranged with seats around at least three sides of the stagebarnan outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animalsbeach housea house built on or near a beachbeer gardentavern with an outdoor area (usually resembling a garden) where beer and other alcoholic drinks are servedbelvederea gazebo sited to command a fine viewbethela house of worship (especially one for sailors)bistroa small informal restaurant; serves wineboarding house, boardinghousea private house that provides accommodations and meals for paying guestsbrasseriea small restaurant serving beer and wine as well as food; usually cheapbrewpuba combination brewery and restaurant; beer is brewed for consumption on the premises and served along with foodbucket shop(formerly) a cheap saloon selling liquor by the bucketburn centera center where patients with severe burns can be treatedcabina small house built of wood; usually in a wooded areacafeteriaa restaurant or dining area where you serve yourself and pay a cashiercall center, call centrea center equipped to handle a large volume of telephone calls (especially for taking orders or serving customers)canteena restaurant in a factory where workers can eatcapitola building occupied by a state legislaturechaleta Swiss house with a sloping roof and wide eaves or a house built in this stylechancellerya government building housing the office of a chancellorchapela place of worship that has its own altarcity halla building that houses administrative offices of a municipal governmentclinica healthcare facility for outpatient carecarriage house, coach house, remisea small building for housing coaches and carriages and other vehiclescivic center, community centera center where the members of a community can gather for social or cultural activitiesconservatory, hothouse, indoor gardena greenhouse in which plants are arranged in a pleasing mannercontrol centerthe operational center for a group of related activitiesconventicle, meetinghousea building for religious assembly (especially Nonconformists, e.g., Quakers)country housea house (usually large and impressive) on an estate in the countrycourthousea building that houses judicial courtscourthousea government building that houses the offices of a county governmentcustomhouse, customshousea government building where customs are collected and where ships are cleared to enter or leave the countryday schoola school building without boarding facilitiesdinera restaurant that resembles a dining cardiplomatic buildinggovernment building in which diplomats live or workfarmhousehouse for a farmer and familyfleabaga run-down hotelfuneral chapel, funeral church, funeral home, funeral parlor, funeral parlour, funeral-residencea mortuary where those who knew the deceased can come to pay their last respectsgaragean outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobilesgatehousea house built at a gateway; usually the gatekeeper's residencegreasy spoona small restaurant specializing in short-order fried foodsguesthousea house separate from the main house; for housing guestsguildhallthe hall of a guild or corporationhaciendathe main house on a ranch or large estatehall of residencea university dormitoryhash housean inexpensive restauranthome theater, home theatretelevision and video equipment designed to reproduce in the home the experience of being in a movie theatericehousea house for storing icelittle theater, little theatrea small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groupslunchrooma restaurant (in a facility) where lunch can be purchasedlyceuma public hall for lectures and concertsmassage parlora place where illicit sex is available under the guise of therapeutic massagemeat housea small house (on a farm) where meat is storedmosque(Islam) a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaretcourt, motor hotel, motor inn, motor lodge, tourist courta hotel for motorists; provides direct access from rooms to parking areaoast housea building containing an oast (a kiln for drying hops); usually has a conical or pyramidal roofearth-closet, jakes, outhouse, privya small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecategin mill, pothouse, pub, public house, saloon, taphousetavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light mealsranch housea one story house with a low pitched roofrathskellera tavern below street level featuring beer; originally a German restaurant in the basement of city hallresidencethe official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president)rotisseriea restaurant that specializes in roasted and barbecued meatsrow house, town housea house that is one of a row of identical houses situated side by side and sharing common wallssafe housea house used as a hiding place or refuge by members of certain organizationssaltboxa type of house built in New England; has two stories in front and one behindservice cluba recreational center for servicemensettlement housea center in an underprivileged area that provides community servicesshedan outbuilding with a single story; used for shelter or storageshrinea place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or personski lodgea hotel at a ski resortsolar housea house designed to use solar radiation for heating; usually has large areas of glass in front of heat-absorbing materialsstash housea house where weapons and supplies are hiddenStatehousea government building in which a state legislature meetsstudent centera center for student activities at a college or universitytea parlor, tea parlour, teahouse, tearoom, teashopa restaurant where tea and light meals are availabletempleplace of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deitytown halla government building that houses administrative offices of a town governmenttract houseone of many houses of similar design constructed together on a tract of landvilladetached or semidetached suburban housewalk-upan apartment building without an elevatorziggurat, zikkurat, zikurata rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babyloniansshebeenunlicensed drinking establishmentorangerya place where oranges are grown; a plantation of orange trees in warm climes or a greenhouse in cooler areastype of:
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘edifice'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing edifice
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
The top 1,000 vocabulary words have been carefully chosen to represent difficult but common words that appear in everyday academic and business writing. These words are also the most likely to appear on the SAT, ACT, GRE, and ToEFL. To create this list, we started with the words that give our users the most trouble and then ranked them by how frequently they appear in our corpus of billions of words from edited sources. If you only have time to study one list of words, this is the list.
The Pearl
In this novella based on a Mexican folk tale, a poor diver rejoices when he finds an enormous pearl — but the treasure may not be the blessing it seems to be.
In Cold Blood
In a groundbreaking work of nonfiction, Truman Capote investigates the brutal murder of a small-town Kansas family and the trial of the killers.