building
Americannoun
-
a relatively permanent enclosed construction over a plot of land, having a roof and usually windows and often more than one level, used for any of a wide variety of activities, as living, entertaining, or manufacturing.
-
anything built or constructed.
-
the act, business, or practice of constructing houses, office buildings, etc.
noun
-
something built with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory
-
the act, business, occupation, or art of building houses, boats, etc
Related Words
Building, edifice, structure refer to something built. Building and structure may apply to either a finished or an unfinished product of construction, and carry no implications as to size or condition. Edifice is a more formal word and narrower in application, referring to a completed structure, and usually a large and imposing one. Building generally connotes a useful purpose (houses, schools, business offices, etc.); structure suggests the planning and constructive process.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of building
First recorded in 1250–1300, building is from the Middle English word byldinge. See build, -ing 1
Explanation
Building is the process of making something. Building Lego cities and towns is the favorite activity of many kids. When a construction company is building a structure like a grocery store or a school, you can say it's building a building. Anything from a small house to a skyscraper can be called a building, and both meanings of the word come from the verb build, with its Old English root byldan, "build or construct a house."
Vocabulary lists containing building
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The California Assn. of Realtors and the California Building Industry Assn. are also supporting the group.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Building on that earlier finding, doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen led new research that uncovered two critical enzymes involved in the production of mitraphylline.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
Building Safety Remediation Bill - Aimed at improving building safety in England further in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell fire, implementing changes outlined in the government's policy plan.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Building more with less, he added, can ease construction costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, her children, Caroline and John Junior, and other family members leave the US Capitol Building where the late president lies in state, 1963.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
