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 bond measures can only be used for equipment, school buildings and technology, whereas the tax parcel has been used to purchase class materials, increase pay to help with teacher retention and extend school library hours. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 8 May 2025

The school building is restored today and serves as an administrative building for South Arkansas College. —Ray Hanley, Arkansas Online, 8 May 2025

Plus, uneven subsidence across a city can destabilize buildings and infrastructure. —Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 8 May 2025

For example, squirrels will bury and dig up nuts in the lawn and mulched beds, while chipmunks tend to make holes near stumps, buildings and brush piles. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 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