1
: building
especially
: a large or massive structure
2
: a large abstract structure
holds together the social edifice—
R. H. Tawney
R. H. Tawney
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
The edifice of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a reasonable-sounding concept that serves as a dog whistle for critical race theory and is premised on the claim that our country is systemically racist, is cracking.
—Richard T. Bosshardt, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Currently some 12,000 items are on display in the stately neoclassical edifice, but behind the scenes 150,000 more are arranged by type—cemetery reliefs, urns, statues—with slices of foam to protect them if an earthquake hits.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
An April 2021 episode highlighted another student singing in front of the crumbling edifice of what once was the National Opera House in Pittsburgh and the home of Mary Cardwell Dawson, founder of the groundbreaking National Negro Opera Company.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
The world that Arthur and his pals inhabit is often gray and crumbling; the manse of Arthur’s patron, an imposing dowager named Flora (Isabella Rossellini), is a once-beautiful edifice that has deteriorated into a series of empty rooms.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
But Stapleton’s ability to make a giant concrete edifice seem like an intimate hootenanny with just an acoustic guitar and his deeply expressive voice was a rare accomplishment.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
And the Edition hotel moved into a bank partly attributed to Marcello Piacentini, the architect responsible for the EUR district, the neighborhood of massive edifices constructed under Mussolini.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Members, missionaries and former missionaries exult as the edifice prepares to open.
—Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023
The edifice built on this foundation, however, is entirely erroneous.
—Jack Guttentag, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Richard T. Bosshardt, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Currently some 12,000 items are on display in the stately neoclassical edifice, but behind the scenes 150,000 more are arranged by type—cemetery reliefs, urns, statues—with slices of foam to protect them if an earthquake hits.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
An April 2021 episode highlighted another student singing in front of the crumbling edifice of what once was the National Opera House in Pittsburgh and the home of Mary Cardwell Dawson, founder of the groundbreaking National Negro Opera Company.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
The world that Arthur and his pals inhabit is often gray and crumbling; the manse of Arthur’s patron, an imposing dowager named Flora (Isabella Rossellini), is a once-beautiful edifice that has deteriorated into a series of empty rooms.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
But Stapleton’s ability to make a giant concrete edifice seem like an intimate hootenanny with just an acoustic guitar and his deeply expressive voice was a rare accomplishment.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
And the Edition hotel moved into a bank partly attributed to Marcello Piacentini, the architect responsible for the EUR district, the neighborhood of massive edifices constructed under Mussolini.
—Laura May Todd, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Members, missionaries and former missionaries exult as the edifice prepares to open.
—Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023
The edifice built on this foundation, however, is entirely erroneous.
—Jack Guttentag, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'edifice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near edifice
Cite this Entry
“Edifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edifice. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
edifice
noun
ed·i·fice
ˈed-ə-fəs 
: building sense 1
especially
: a large or impressive building (as a church)
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