basilica

American  

[buh-sil-i-kuh, -zil-] / bəˈsɪl ɪ kə, -ˈzɪl- /

noun

basilicas plural

1. an early Christian or medieval church of the type built especially in Italy, characterized by a plan including a nave, two or four side aisles, a semicircular apse, a narthex, and often other features, as a short transept, a number of small semicircular apses terminating the aisles, or an atrium. The interior is characterized by strong horizontality, with little or no attempt at rhythmic accents. All spaces are usually covered with timber roofs or ceilings except for the apse or apses, which are vaulted.

2. one of the seven main churches of Rome or another Roman Catholic church accorded the same religious privileges.

3. (in ancient Rome) a large oblong building used as a hall of justice and public meeting place.

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basilica British  

/ bəˈzɪlɪkə /

noun

1. a Roman building, used for public administration, having a large rectangular central nave with an aisle on each side and an apse at the end

2. a rectangular early Christian or medieval church, usually having a nave with clerestories, two or four aisles, one or more vaulted apses, and a timber roof

3. a Roman Catholic church having special ceremonial rights

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basilica Cultural  

1. A large Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox church building. A basilica is built with several parallel aisles separated by rows of columns, ending in a semicircular structure, the apse. Saint Peter's Basilica is the church of the Vatican in Rome.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• basilican
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• basilicas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of basilica

1535–45; < Latin < Greek basilikḗ hall, short for basilikḗ oikía royal house. See basilic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

basilica basilicas

The rue Lepic, the steep 1-kilometer stretch that punches up through the 18th arrondissement and leads the peloton toward the Sacré-Coeur basilica, is a more recent addition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

An exhibition marking the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death shows how his humble life inspired the artists who adorned his namesake basilica and changed the way sacred figures were depicted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

Framed by white roses on the central balcony of the Vatican's basilica, the pope called on "those who have the power to unleash wars" to choose peace.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

His remains, which will be on display until March 22, were transferred to the basilica built in the saint's honour in 1230.

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

St Mark’s basilica revealed to Monteverdi a new world of possibility; as far as I know, this is the only example in Western music of a building changing the course of history.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Pope Francis, who was appointed in 2013, will be laid to rest in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome's four major basilicas.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025

His mosaics decorate churches and basilicas around the world, including at the Vatican.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 23, 2023

With their crystalline mosaics and thin, pure light, these humbly elegant basilicas conjure the time when a strange, fervent, unyielding new cult rose from the ashes of empire.

From New York Times ● May 1, 2023

In bordering Umbria, thousands more were damaged when small churches and large basilicas crumbled.

From Reuters ● Jun. 22, 2022

The Carthaginians' principal saint is Saint Cyprian, who has more than a dozen basilicas and chapels, in which all his festivals, "the great Cypriani," are magnificently celebrated.

From The Scarlet Banner by Dahn, Felix