edifice
nounUK, US /ˈɛd.ɪ.fɪs/
Etymology From Middle English edifice, from Old French edifice, a classical borrowing of Latin aedificium (“building”), derived from aedificāre (“to build, establish”) (whence also English edify).
1
A building; a structure; an architectural fabric, especially a large and spectacular one.
2
An abstract structure, such as a school of thought, an argument, a theoretical position, etc.
- The real difficulty was moral, not intellectual. Was the whole edifice of Ptolemy to be destroyed?1904, Edward S. Holden, “Copernicus”, in Popular science monthly, volume 65, page 117:
- With a great thump on the table, Poirot demolished his carefully built up edifice.1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 165:
- Derived terms
- edifice complex
- Related terms
- edificant, edification, edificator, edificatory, edificial, edifier, edify, edifyingly, edifyingness