1
: building
especially
: a large or massive structure
2
: a large abstract structure
holds together the social edifice—
R. H. Tawney
R. H. TawneyExamples 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 five-story edifice would rank among the largest residential buildings in the city.
—Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Real-world practicalities such as irregular block shapes, air currents and the crushing weight of an endless edifice may hamper your engineering aspirations.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 6 July 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
America’s single largest church is the unfinished edifice in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for edifice
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Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Real-world practicalities such as irregular block shapes, air currents and the crushing weight of an endless edifice may hamper your engineering aspirations.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 6 July 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
America’s single largest church is the unfinished edifice in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for edifice
Cite this Entry
“Edifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edifice. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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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