edify
[ ed-uh-fahy ]
/ ˈɛd ə faɪ /
|
verb (used with object), ed·i·fied, ed·i·fy·ing.
to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; uplift: religious paintings that edify the viewer.
Nearby words
edie, edification, edificatory, edifice, edificial, edify, edifying, edile, edina, edinburg, edinburgh
Origin of edify
1300–50; Middle English edifien < Anglo-French, Old French edifier < Latin aedificāre to build, equivalent to aedi- (stem of aedes) house, temple + -ficāre -fy
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for edifies
So it is with South Park, which edifies as it offends—or maybe edifies because it offends.
In so far as the drama uplifts and edifies the audience, it does so, not by precept or by syllogism, but by emotional suggestion.
The Theory of the Theatre|Clayton HamiltonTo her great surprise she hears that the sister continues there, and edifies the whole community by her piety.
A Literary History of the English People|Jean Jules JusserandHe opens his budget and edifies us with a speech—one-half the house goes away.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7|Elbert Hubbard
British Dictionary definitions for edifies
edify
/ (ˈɛdɪˌfaɪ) /
verb -fies, -fying or -fied
(tr) to improve the morality, intellect, etc, of, esp by instruction
Derived Formsedifier, nounedifying, adjectiveedifyingly, adverb
Word Origin for edify
C14: from Old French edifier, from Latin aedificāre to construct, from aedēs a dwelling, temple + facere to make
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012