cathedral

1 of 2

adjective

ca·​the·​dral kə-ˈthē-drəl 

1

: of, relating to, or containing a cathedra

2

: emanating from a chair of authority

3

: suggestive of a cathedral

a cathedral grove of redwoods

cathedral

2 of 2

noun

1

: a church that is the official seat of a diocesan bishop

2

: something that resembles or suggests a cathedral (as in size or importance)

a cathedral of business

the sports cathedral

Illustration of cathedral

• cathedral 1

Synonyms

Noun

• edifice
• hall
• palace
• tower

Examples of cathedral in a Sentence

Noun

the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

When the organ was installed in 1938 by Ernest M. Skinner and Son Organ Co., only a third of the cathedral building seen now was built. —Jordan D. Brown, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

The African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) goes by many names, including cathedral cactus, friendship cactus, and good luck cactus. —Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2024

Noun

Damaged during installation, Doyle has been banished to an obscure corner of the cathedral with Chet, a perpetually cheerful rain gutter voiced by Haley Joel Osment. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Hammer gets to don a hard hat and go into the cathedral, scheduled to reopen to the public this December, to view the results of five years of painstaking work. —Longreads, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cathedral

• cathedral ceiling

Kids Definition

cathedral

noun

ca·​the·​dral

kə-ˈthē-drəl

: the principal church of a district headed by a bishop