noun
edifice
EHD-ih-fihs
noun
1
A large, imposing building, especially one of architectural significance.
"The cathedral is an edifice that took over a century to complete."
2
A complex system of ideas or beliefs built up over time, used figuratively.
"His entire argument was an edifice built on a single shaky assumption."
How to Use Edifice
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA grand building, or, figuratively, an elaborate structure of ideas or beliefs.
Common pairings
a towering edifice
an edifice of lies
a crumbling edifice
Word Forms
edifices plural
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The cathedral is an _____ that took over a century to complete.
Etymology
From Old French edifice, from Latin aedificium ("building"), from aedificare ("to build") — the same root gives us "edify."