edifice

/ˈedɪfɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈedɪfɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈe-də-fəs/ (ame, mw)

edifice — noun

  • edificesingular
  • edificesplural

1. a very large and impressive building, such as a cathedral, palace, monument, or

1.名詞C1
釋義

a very large and impressive building, such as a cathedral, palace, monument, or government hall — one that is built to be noticed and admired, not just used.

例句

The marble edifice of the national museum towers above the central square and can be seen from kilometres away.

collocation: marble edifice / stone edifice

Kwame stood in front of the old courthouse, startled by the sheer scale of the grey stone edifice and its six tall columns.

adjective + edifice for describing size and material

同義詞
  • building

    neutral, everyday word for any structure with walls and a roof

  • structure

    more technical; refers to anything built, not necessarily impressive

  • monument

    a building or statue built to commemorate a person or event; narrower than 'edifice'

反義詞
  • hut

    a small, simple, roughly built shelter — the opposite of grand and impressive

  • shack

    a crudely built dwelling, implying poverty or impermanence

文法句型

edifice + of + material

adjective + edifice

用法筆記

Much more formal than 'building'. Use 'building' for everyday contexts (e.g. 'the office building', 'a new apartment building'). 'Edifice' suggests size, grandeur, or historical importance — it carries a tone of admiration or awe. Common in tour guides, architecture criticism, and historical writing.

常見錯誤

❌I work in a tall edifice downtown.
✅I work in a tall building downtown.
💡'Edifice' is too formal for casual reference to an ordinary workplace.
❌They built a wooden edifice for the school play.
✅They built a wooden stage for the school play.
💡'Edifice' implies a permanent, grand structure, not a temporary one.

2. a large, complex system of beliefs, laws, traditions, or institutions that has b

2.名詞C1
釋義

a large, complex system of beliefs, laws, traditions, or institutions that has been built up over a long period — for example, a legal system, a political ideology, or a social order.

例句

The scandal shook the entire edifice of public trust in the banking industry.

metaphorical: edifice of public trust

Amara spent ten years researching how the edifice of colonial law was gradually dismantled after independence.

同義詞
  • system

    neutral, everyday word for any organised set of parts; lacks the grandeur of 'edifice'

  • structure

    can be used figuratively (e.g. 'power structure'), but is less dramatic

  • framework

    suggests the supporting outline of a system, not the full elaborate construction

反義詞
  • ruins

    the remains of something that has been destroyed — the opposite of a functioning edifice

文法句型

the (entire) edifice of + noun

edifice of + abstract noun

用法筆記

This is the metaphorical extension of sense 1. It always appears in formal, academic, or journalistic writing. The image is of a grand structure slowly or suddenly falling apart. Common verbs paired with this sense: 'build', 'construct', 'dismantle', 'shake', 'collapse', 'crumble', 'destroy', 'shatter'. Distinguish from sense 1: if the subject is an actual physical building, use sense 1; if it is an abstract idea, institution, or system, use sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The edifice of this company has 200 employees.
✅The company has 200 employees.
💡'Edifice' as a metaphor is too grand for a single company's size; reserve it for large systems like legal codes or ideologies.
❌They built a financial edifice by saving money each month.
✅They built up their savings over time.
💡'Edifice' implies complexity and age, not simple personal saving.