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# edifice

noun (an edifice, edifices)

«edifice» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) An edifice is a large, grand or impressive building. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#m1)
2. (formal, figurative) An edifice is a big system or set of ideas built up over time, which could fall apart. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#m2)

### In the lessons

A fancy word in older books, guidebooks and formal writing for a cathedral, palace or tower. In stories it makes a building sound huge and important. Phrases: a grand edifice, a stone edifice, the whole edifice.

### Examples

- The cathedral is a magnificent stone edifice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x1)
- Tourists stared up at the huge edifice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x2)
- The old bank was an edifice of marble and glass. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x3)
- In the story, the wizard's tower was a dark edifice on the hill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x4)
- One lie and the whole edifice of his excuses fell apart. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x5)
- The town hall is the oldest edifice on the square. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x6)
- Jurgen followed the sailor he was with into the church, and stood in the sacred edifice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/#x7)

### Note

Formal; plain word is building. Say «ED-i-fis». «An edifice» (starts with a vowel sound). Do not mix up with «edify» (to teach someone to be better), though they share a Latin root meaning to build.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «edifice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/edifice/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«edifice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/edifice.html) on Mova free.