edifying
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of edifying
Explanation
Anything edifying is enlightening. Edifying things uplift people intellectually or morally and help them learn. Good literature, art, and music are edifying. The original meaning of edify was "to build," and things that are edifying build up a person, especially in an intellectual or moral way. It’s often used in the negative. If you say something is not edifying, you mean that it’s unpleasant and unacceptable. Edifying applies to things that help you become a better person. A wise saying is edifying. A powerful documentary is edifying. The words of a good teacher are often edifying. Word definitions are definitely edifying!
Vocabulary lists containing edifying
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
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A Farewell To Arms
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Crime and Punishment
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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 machinery was imperfect, the politics were real, and those who lost were not always treated well—the history of what followed Nicaea is not uniformly edifying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
All that matters in this moment is one of life's most edifying trivialities: snooker.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
But it’s an edifying experience, hurtling forward with only the mighty light of intrepid wonder to guide us.
From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2025
It’s also a central pillar of the pair’s edifying new sitcom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024
The atmosphere should probably sharpen your ears and restrain me to concentrate on those aspects which are tasty, edifying and constructive.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
