building

build·ing
B3U1I1L1D2I1N1G2
/ˈbɪl.dɪŋ/

noun

The act or process by which something is built; construction.

“My sister lives in that apartment building.”

Similar
constructionedificeTits buildingwark
OriginMiddle English bildynge →
Very commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

building1

nounbuilding (countable and uncountable, plural buildings)

plural buildings

  1. uncountableThe act or process by which something is built; construction.

    The building of the bridge will be completed in a couple of weeks.

    Synonyms: construction

  2. countableA closed structure with walls and a roof.

    My sister lives in that apartment building.

    2 more examples

    One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks.

    2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1

    Why doesn't Italy finish their buildings

    2024 May 6, @thepunbible, Twitter, archived from the original on 28 Jun 2024

    Synonyms: edifice

  3. countableuncountablemathematicsSynonym of Tits building.

    Synonyms: Tits building

building2

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of build

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act or process by which something is built; construction.

Similar
construction

nounA closed structure with walls and a roof.

Similar
edifice

nounSynonym of Tits building.

Similar
Tits building
Similar
wark
Broader
structure
Narrower
housedoorpalacerow housetownhousechurchcathedralsynagoguetemplebasilicamosquetombhospitallibrarymonasterytown hallcity hallcitadelmuseumtheatergranarysilofactoryplantmillsawmillpaper millwindmillvillaapartment buildingblock of flatstower blockapartment blockskyscrapermaisonettecondominiumpueblodormitoryparking garagegarage

More synonyms by meaning

nouna structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

Similar
edifice
Broader
structureconstruction

nounthe act of constructing something

Similar
construction
Broader
creating from raw materials

nounthe commercial activity involved in repairing old structures or constructing new ones

Similar
construction
Broader
commercial enterprisebusiness enterprisebusiness
Also see
constructionedificeerectiontits buildingwark

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

building · noun

  1. Middle Englishbildynge
  2. Englishbuilding

From Middle English bildynge, byldynge, equivalent to build + -ing. Compare also related Middle English bold (“edifice, castle, mansion”), from Old English bold (“building, dwelling, house”).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

building · verb

  1. Middle Englishbeeldynge
  2. Englishbuilding

From Middle English beeldynge, equivalent to build + -ing.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans gebou
  • gebouclosed structure with walls and a roof
Ancient Greek οἰκοδόμησις, οἰκοδομίᾱ
  • οἰκοδόμησις (oikodómēsis)act or process of building
  • οἰκοδομίᾱ (oikodomíā)act or process of building
  • οἴκημα (oíkēma)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • οἰκοδομίᾱ (oikodomíā)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • οἰκοδόμημα (oikodómēma)closed structure with walls and a roof
Arabic بِنَاء, مَبْنَى
  • بِنَاء (bināʔ)act or process of building
  • مَبْنَى (mabnā)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • بِنَاء (bināʔ)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • دَار (dār)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • بِنَايَة (bināya)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • عِمَارَة (ʕimāra)closed structure with walls and a roof
Basque eraikina, eraikin
  • eraikinaact or process of building
  • eraikinclosed structure with walls and a roof
Bengali ভবন, দালান
  • ভবন (bhobon)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • দালান (dalan)closed structure with walls and a roof
Bulgarian строи́телство, граде́ж
  • строи́телство (stroítelstvo)act or process of building
  • граде́ж (gradéž)act or process of building
  • изгра́ждане (izgráždane)act or process of building
  • зда́ние (zdánie)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • постро́йка (postrójka)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • сгра́да (sgráda)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • къ́ща (kắšta)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • дом (dom)closed structure with walls and a roof
Catalan construcció, edifici
  • construccióact or process of building
  • edificiclosed structure with walls and a roof
Chinese Cantonese 建築物 /建筑物
  • 建築物 /建筑物closed structure with walls and a roof
Chinese Mandarin 建設 /建设, 建築 /建筑
  • 建設 /建设 (jiànshè)act or process of building
  • 建築 /建筑 (jiànzhù)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • 建築物 /建筑物 (jiànzhùwù)closed structure with walls and a roof
Czech stavba, budování
  • stavbaact or process of building
  • budováníact or process of building
  • výstavbaact or process of building
  • budovaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • stavbaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • důmclosed structure with walls and a roof
Danish byggeri, opførelse (af en bygning)
  • byggeriact or process of building
  • opførelse (af en bygning)act or process of building
  • bygningclosed structure with walls and a roof
Dutch bouwen, bouw
  • bouwenact or process of building
  • bouwact or process of building
  • gebouwclosed structure with walls and a roof
Esperanto konstruado, konstruaĵo
  • konstruadoact or process of building
  • konstruaĵoclosed structure with walls and a roof
Estonian ehitamine, ehitus
  • ehitamineact or process of building
  • ehitusact or process of building
  • hooneclosed structure with walls and a roof
Finnish rakentaminen, rakennus
  • rakentaminenact or process of building
  • rakennusact or process of building
  • rakennustaitoact or process of building
  • rakennusclosed structure with walls and a roof
French construction, immeuble
  • constructionact or process of building
  • immeubleclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • édificeclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • bâtimentclosed structure with walls and a roof
German Bau, Bauen
  • Bauact or process of building
  • Bauenact or process of building
  • Gebäudeclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • Bauclosed structure with walls and a roof
Greek δόμηση, κτίριο
  • δόμηση (dómisi)act or process of building
  • κτίριο (ktírio)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • κτίσμα (ktísma)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • οικοδομή (oikodomí)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • κτήριο (ktírio)closed structure with walls and a roof
Hawaiian hale
  • haleclosed structure with walls and a roof
Hebrew בנייה, בְּנִיָּה
  • בנייהact or process of building
  • בְּנִיָּה (b'niyá)act or process of building
  • בניין \ בִּנְיָן (binyan)closed structure with walls and a roof
Hindi निर्माण, भवन
  • निर्माण (nirmāṇ)act or process of building
  • भवन (bhavan)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • इमारत (imārat)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • निर्माण (nirmāṇ)closed structure with walls and a roof
Hungarian építés, építkezés
  • építésact or process of building
  • építkezésact or process of building
  • felépítésact or process of building
  • épületclosed structure with walls and a roof
Icelandic bygging, bygging
  • byggingact or process of building
  • byggingclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • húsclosed structure with walls and a roof
Indonesian pembangunan, konstruksi
  • pembangunanact or process of building
  • konstruksiact or process of building
  • bangunanclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • gedungclosed structure with walls and a roof
Irish foirgneamh
  • foirgneamhclosed structure with walls and a roof
Italian costruzione, edificazione
  • costruzioneact or process of building
  • edificazioneact or process of building
  • formazioneact or process of building
  • edificioclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • palazzoclosed structure with walls and a roof
Japanese 建築, 建造
  • 建築 (kenchiku)act or process of building
  • 建造 (kenzō)act or process of building
  • 建設 (kensetsu)act or process of building
  • 建物 (tatemono)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • 建築物 (kenchiku butsu)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • 建屋 (tateya)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • ビル (biru)closed structure with walls and a roof
Korean 건설, 건물
  • 건설 (geonseol)act or process of building
  • 건물 (geonmul)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • 빌딩 (bilding)closed structure with walls and a roof
Latin cōnstrūctiō, aedificium
  • cōnstrūctiōact or process of building
  • aedificiumclosed structure with walls and a roof
Latvian celšana, būvēšana
  • celšanaact or process of building
  • būvēšanaact or process of building
  • celtneclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • ēkaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • būveclosed structure with walls and a roof
Lithuanian statyba, pastatas
  • statybaact or process of building
  • pastatasclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • statinysclosed structure with walls and a roof
Malay pembangunan, pembinaan
  • pembangunanact or process of building
  • pembinaanact or process of building
  • bangunanclosed structure with walls and a roof
Māori whare
  • whareclosed structure with walls and a roof
Norwegian Bokmål konstruksjon, bygning
  • konstruksjonact or process of building
  • bygningclosed structure with walls and a roof
Polish budowanie, budowa
  • budowanieact or process of building
  • budowaact or process of building
  • budynekclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • budowlaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • domclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • gmachclosed structure with walls and a roof
Portuguese construção, edificação
  • construçãoact or process of building
  • edificaçãoact or process of building
  • edifícioclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • prédioclosed structure with walls and a roof
Punjabi ਇਮਾਰਤ
  • ਇਮਾਰਤ (imārat)closed structure with walls and a roof
Romanian construcție, construire
  • construcțieact or process of building
  • construireact or process of building
  • edificareact or process of building
  • edificiuclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • clădireclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • construcțieclosed structure with walls and a roof
Russian строи́тельство, стро́йка
  • строи́тельство (stroítelʹstvo)act or process of building
  • стро́йка (strójka)act or process of building
  • зда́ние (zdánije)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • строе́ние (strojénije)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • постро́йка (postrójka)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • дом (dom)closed structure with walls and a roof
Scottish Gaelic togail, togalach
  • togailact or process of building
  • togalachclosed structure with walls and a roof
Slovak budova, stavba
  • budovaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • stavbaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • domclosed structure with walls and a roof
Spanish edificación, construcción
  • edificaciónact or process of building
  • construcciónact or process of building
  • cimentaciónact or process of building
  • edificioclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • inmuebleclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • edificaciónclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • construcciónclosed structure with walls and a roof
Swahili jenga, jengo
  • jengaact or process of building
  • jengoclosed structure with walls and a roof
Swedish byggande, bygge
  • byggandeact or process of building
  • byggeact or process of building
  • byggnationact or process of building
  • byggnadsverksamhetact or process of building
  • byggnadclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • byggeclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • husclosed structure with walls and a roof
Tagalog pagtayo, paggawa
  • pagtayoact or process of building
  • paggawaact or process of building
  • gusaliclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • edipisyoclosed structure with walls and a roof
Tamil கட்டிடம்
  • கட்டிடம் (kaṭṭiṭam)closed structure with walls and a roof
Thai การสร้าง, ตึก
  • การสร้าง (gaan-sâang)act or process of building
  • ตึก (dtʉ̀k)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • อาคาร (aa-kaan)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • โรง (roong)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • หอ (hɔ̌ɔ)closed structure with walls and a roof
Turkish inşa, inşaat
  • inşaact or process of building
  • inşaatact or process of building
  • binaclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • yapıclosed structure with walls and a roof
Ukrainian будівни́цтво, буди́нок
  • будівни́цтво (budivnýctvo)act or process of building
  • буди́нок (budýnok)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • спору́да (sporúda)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • дім (dim)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • будівля (budivlja)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • будо́ва (budóva)closed structure with walls and a roof
Urdu تَعْمِیر, عِمارَت
  • تَعْمِیر (ta'mīr)act or process of building
  • عِمارَت ('imārat)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • بھَوَن (bhavan)closed structure with walls and a roof
Vietnamese toà nhà
  • toà nhàclosed structure with walls and a roof
Welsh adeiladu, adeilad
  • adeiladuact or process of building
  • adeiladclosed structure with walls and a roof
  • adailclosed structure with walls and a roof
Yiddish בנין, געבײַדע
  • בנין (binyen)closed structure with walls and a roof
  • געבײַדע (gebayde)closed structure with walls and a roof

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with building

bodybuildinggildingmodel building
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

building. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/building

MLA

“building.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/building. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “building,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/building.

Source: building on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.