buildings
buildings — noun
- buildingssingular
- buildingsesplural
1. any large, lasting thing that people put up to keep out the rain and cold, with
any large, lasting thing that people put up to keep out the rain and cold, with rooms inside for living, working, or meeting — houses, offices, and schools are all examples
The old stone building on the corner was once a public library.
Camila pointed to the tallest building in the city and laughed.
adjective + building: tallest building
Firefighters searched every building on Maple Street after the fire.
Hiro's flat is on the top floor of that tall white building.
A small brick building stood alone at the end of the long dirt road.
- structure
broader — includes bridges, towers, and natural formations, not just buildings with rooms
- edifice
formal and literary — suggests a large, grand, or historically important building
- construction
primarily means the act of putting something up; formal when used for the finished thing
2. the work, trade, or skill of putting up houses, bridges, offices, and any other
the work, trade, or skill of putting up houses, bridges, offices, and any other lasting structures
Putri studied building at college and now runs her own firm.
building as a field of study
The building of the new bridge took three long years of hard work.
the building of + [structure]
Building slowed to a stop when the heavy winter snows arrived.
Aylin's father spent his whole life in building, starting as a young apprentice.
This company is known for the building of small, energy-saving homes.
- construction
the most common synonym for the process or industry of erecting structures
- erection
formal and technical — used for the act of putting up a structure, especially in engineering
- demolition
the process of taking structures down rather than putting them up
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used without an article: 'she works in building' (the industry), not 'she works in the building' (inside a structure). Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the sentence describes an activity or a physical object.