noun
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improvement, instruction, or enlightenment, esp when morally or spiritually uplifting
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the act of edifying or state of being edified
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of edification
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin aedificātiōn-, stem of aedificātiō “act or process of building; a building”; in Late Latin also “spiritual improvement”; see origin at edify ( def. ), -fication; see also aedicule ( def. ),
Explanation
If something is for your edification, watch out! It means it's designed to improve you in some way, whether morally, educationally, or spiritually. Originally edification had a strictly religious sense, in the meaning of "building up of the soul," from the Latin term aedificationem, for "construction" or "building." From the same word we get edifice, meaning a building, especially a large and imposing one. So, you see, edification is all about efforts to build you into a more sound human being. Children can have a particular dislike for TV shows or books that are considered edifying by their parents or teachers.
Vocabulary lists containing edification
To Kill a Mockingbird
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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Grade 12, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And why do we, as a culture, continually stand in the way of our own edification?
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
For my edification, Nicolson allowed the Bentley to gather some sideways slide as we were coming through Turn 2.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
And I remember arriving and saying, “Listen, just for my own edification, I’d love to see the flier that you used to amalgamate this crowd that’s going to see this thing tonight.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
You might have expected technology billionaires to be well-informed about the world; someone like Musk could, if he chose, easily maintain a large research department for his personal edification.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
Let’s imagine, for purposes of edification and entertainment, that we are about to go on a journey by rocketship.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
