building

[bil-ding]

noun

1. a relatively permanent enclosed construction over a plot of land, having a roof and usually windows and often more than one level, used for any of a wide variety of activities, as living, entertaining, or manufacturing.

2. anything built built or constructed.

3. the act, business, or practice of constructing houses, office buildings, etc.

building

/ ˈbɪldɪŋ /

noun

1. something built with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory

2. the act, business, occupation, or art of building houses, boats, etc

Other Word Forms

• buildingless adjective
• underbuilding noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of building¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, building is from the Middle English word byldinge. See build, -ing ¹

Synonym Study

Building, edifice, structure refer to something built. Building and structure may apply to either a finished or an unfinished product of construction, and carry no implications as to size or condition. Edifice is a more formal word and narrower in application, referring to a completed structure, and usually a large and imposing one. Building generally connotes a useful purpose (houses, schools, business offices, etc.); structure suggests the planning and constructive process.

Example Sentences

The White House is among the most famous buildings in the world, and its appeal isn’t simply the iconic facade.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Because systems naturally tend toward disorder, building the intricate molecular organization required for life would have been a major challenge.

Read more on Science Daily

What is your outlook on extending the AI data center building boom to developing nations?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This year’s best technology stocks don’t belong to companies building artificial-intelligence chips.

Read more on MarketWatch

WASHINGTON—Anybody who has remodeled a home knows that building regulations can slow down even the most minor projects, especially when a property has historic significance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• architecture 
• construction 
• home 
• house 
• hut