edification

[ ed-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act of edifying.
2. the state of being edified; uplift.
3. moral improvement or guidance.

Word History and Origins

Origin of edification¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin aedificātiōn-, stem of aedificātiō “act or process of building; a building”; in Late Latin also “spiritual improvement”; edify ( def ), -fication; aedicule ( def ),

Example Sentences

And I remember arriving and saying, “Listen, just for my own edification, I’d love to see the flier that you used to amalgamate this crowd that’s going to see this thing tonight.”

From Los Angeles Times

It is dedicated to the edification and protection of one of the worst politicians ever to rise to prominence in our republic.

From Salon

You might have expected technology billionaires to be well-informed about the world; someone like Musk could, if he chose, easily maintain a large research department for his personal edification.

From Seattle Times

Freer procured Egyptian objects in part to compare them, for his own edification, with ones from East Asia.

From Washington Post

Both Martin and his daughter have been bulwarks against a rising tide of benightedness, so personal education and edification have felt like a fitting tribute.

From Los Angeles Times