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 of building

• structure
• house
• edifice

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

When numerous low-altitude targets appear, radar systems detect them amid the clutter – unwanted echoes from terrain, sea surfaces, rain or buildings – before identifying and continuously tracking them, reported SCMP. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026

Old Dominion University police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between when officers were called about a shooting in the university's business school building and when responders determined the shooter was dead. —Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026

One way of doing this is to not give them building permits. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

Initial reports from local news outlets that indicated the standoff lasted 11 hours, that a marshal was struck by shrapnel and that Dickey had a hostage in the building were not accurate, Kitchens said. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bildyng, buldyng, from bilden, buylden, bulden "to build entry 1" + -yng -ing entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

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

Rhymes for building

• gilding
• boatbuilding
• outbuilding
• rebuilding
• roadbuilding
• shipbuilding
• upbuilding
• bodybuilding

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