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

To evade the royal governor in the Colonial capital of Williamsburg, the group met at the largest public building in the then-tiny town of Richmond: a 34-year-old Episcopal church now known as St. John’s. —Cassandra Good, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

Schools that would move King Elementary School would move into a brand new building, vacating the former Kansas City Middle School of the Arts building on the Paseo Academy campus. —Maria Benevento, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the company owed a much higher figure to the building owners — $170,000. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025

Trump administration drops work on stronger building codes for disasters Still, many states don't want to see FEMA go away. —Lauren Sommer, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025

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

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