edification

American  

[ed-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌɛd ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act of edifying.

2. the state of being edified; uplift.

3. moral improvement or guidance.

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edification British  

/ ˌɛdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. improvement, instruction, or enlightenment, esp when morally or spiritually uplifting

2. the act of edifying or state of being edified

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Other Word Forms

• edificatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of edification

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”; see origin at edify ( def. ), -fication; see also aedicule ( def. ),

Explanation

If something is for your edification, watch out! It means it's designed to improve you in some way, whether morally, educationally, or spiritually. Originally edification had a strictly religious sense, in the meaning of "building up of the soul," from the Latin term aedificationem, for "construction" or "building." From the same word we get edifice, meaning a building, especially a large and imposing one. So, you see, edification is all about efforts to build you into a more sound human being. Children can have a particular dislike for TV shows or books that are considered edifying by their parents or teachers.

Example Sentences

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 • Jul. 5, 2023

Instead of continuing his cinematic edification with the film’s 1995 sequel, Estefan followed up by going back to where it all started, with the 1950 original starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2022

Feeders have long been a popular way to connect with nature and draw in native species and passing migrants for our edification.

From Scientific American • Mar. 4, 2022

Yet we should also remember that world affairs don’t unfold for our personal edification; their importance is not correlated with how well they accord with our psychological needs.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2022

Let’s imagine, for purposes of edification and entertainment, that we are about to go on a journey by rocketship.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson