building

[bil-ding]

noun

1. 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.

2. anything built built or constructed.

3. the act, business, or practice of constructing houses, office buildings, etc.

building

/ ˈbɪldɪŋ /

noun

1. something built with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory

2. the act, business, occupation, or art of building houses, boats, etc

Other Word Forms

• buildingless adjective
• underbuilding noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of building¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, building is from the Middle English word byldinge. See build, -ing ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Berardino said the organization supported building a Vietnam War veterans memorial but did not provide any funding or participate in planning.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It was a great idea to start with the vampires, a Wes Craven-style of scaring the s— out of the audience and then building up the story.

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This improvement represents an important move toward building quantum computers that can operate reliably.

Read more on Science Daily

To understand what happened, BBC Verify has analysed, geolocated and confirmed footage, building a clearer picture of how police responded to the demonstrations.

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"The enemy launched missile strikes on the city of Balakliya," Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov posted on Telegram, adding that at least seven people were wounded and apartment buildings and cars damaged.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• architecture 
• construction 
• home 
• house 
• hut