building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a usually roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)

2

: the art or business of assembling materials into a structure

Synonyms

• edifice
• structure

Examples of building in a Sentence

My office is in that small brick building.

We bought the land for building.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1979 earthquake caused $30 million in damage, injured 91 people and damaged more than 1,500 homes and over 400 commercial buildings. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024

While that's almost certainly an exaggeration, the building is one of the most visible signs of the ways in which the country has changed since Kagame came to power in the years after the brutal genocide shocked the world. —Tinbete Ermyas, NPR, 20 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

• apartment building
• building block
• building society
• sick building syndrome
• world building

Kids Definition

building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a permanent structure built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity or for storage

an office building

2

: the art, work, or business of assembling materials into a structure