edify

American  

[ed-uh-fahy] / ˈɛd əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

edified, edifying

1. to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; uplift.

   religious paintings that edify the viewer.

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edify British  

/ ˈɛdɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to improve the morality, intellect, etc, of, esp by instruction

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Other Word Forms

• edifier noun
• edifying adjective
• edifyingly adverb
• nonedified adjective
• reedify verb (used with object)
• unedified adjective

Etymology

Origin of edify

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English edifien, from Anglo-French, Old French edifier, from Latin aedificāre “to build,” equivalent to aedi- (stem of aedes ) “house, temple” + -ficāre -fy

Example Sentences

The common thread is mass production of stories journalists and urban liberals would find emotionally satisfying rather than factually edifying.

From The Wall Street Journal

There’s nothing here that the viewer can’t glean from the documentary, and in fact, the doc is a far more edifying and affecting work than Safdie’s stylish regurgitation.

From Salon

Brooks insists on seeing all this as an edifying story of a nation’s rise, albeit with a few bumps in the road.

From Salon

But it’s an edifying experience, hurtling forward with only the mighty light of intrepid wonder to guide us.

From Salon

It’s also a central pillar of the pair’s edifying new sitcom.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• enlighten
• uplift