Edifice
/ˈedɪfɪs/
Definitions
2 meaningsA large, impressive building; a complex system or organization.
/ˈedɪfɪs/
A large and imposing building.
The cathedral, with its soaring arches and intricate carvings, was a breathtaking edifice.
💡 Simply: Imagine a really big, fancy building like a palace or a museum. That's an edifice! It's something impressive and usually important, like the biggest building in town.
👶 For kids: A really big and important building, like a castle or a very tall skyscraper.
More Examples
The company headquarters was an imposing edifice of glass and steel.
The collapse of the financial edifice brought down the economy.
How It's Used
"The ancient temple was a magnificent edifice, a testament to the skills of the stonemasons."
"The novel's plot centered around the mysterious edifice that dominated the town's skyline."
A complex system or organization.
/ˈedɪfɪs/
The legal edifice of the country ensured justice.
💡 Simply: Imagine a very complicated system, like a government or a big company. It's like a building made of rules and people. It's a complex edifice.
👶 For kids: When something is set up in a complicated way, it's an edifice.
More Examples
The edifice of the company was built on years of research.
The edifice of the banking system was very unstable.
How It's Used
"The existing political edifice was crumbling under the weight of public dissatisfaction."
"The intricate financial edifice was vulnerable to market volatility."
Synonyms
Building
Construction
Landmark
Monument
Structure
Establishment
Framework
Organization
System
Idioms & expressions
crumbling edifice
A system or institution that is failing or in decline.
"The government's policies led to a crumbling edifice of public trust."
From Old French 'edifice' (building), from Latin 'aedificium' (building), from 'aedis' (dwelling) and 'facere' (to make).
Used in historical texts to describe significant buildings, often with religious or political importance.
Memory tip
Think of 'ed' (as in 'edge') and 'ifice' (like 'office'). An 'ed-ifice' has an imposing edge and is a building.