Synonyms

edifice

American

[ed-uh-fis] / ˈɛd ə fɪs /

noun

a building, especially one of large size or imposing appearance.
any large, complex system or organization.

edifice British

/ ˌɛdɪˈfɪʃəl, ˈɛdɪfɪs /

noun

a building, esp a large or imposing one
a complex or elaborate institution or organization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See building.

Other Word Forms

edificial adjective
unedificial adjective

Etymology

Origin of edifice

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin aedificium, equivalent to aedific ( āre ) to build ( edify ) + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If programs pay even when the work isn’t done, the edifice collapses and programs lose their reason for being.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

Thick layers of sediment rich in organic material lie beneath the volcanic edifice.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

The Coast Guard decommissioned the St. George Reef Lighthouse in 1975, replacing the grand edifice with a floating, automated buoy light.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2025

Littler is the beneficiary, but has added another story to the edifice.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2025

Every day the remarkable edifice served as a monument to her profound change in circumstances.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023