different between edify vs edification

English

Alternative forms

• ædify (archaic)

Etymology

From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??d?fa?/

Verb

edify (third-person singular simple present edifies, present participle edifying, simple past and past participle edified)

1. (now rare) To build, construct.
2. (transitive) To instruct or improve morally or intellectually.
   • January 23, 1783, Edward Gibbon, letter to Dr. Priestley

     It does not appear probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public.

   • 1813, The Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, Vol. VI, page 455

     That they ought to edify one another by maintaining and promoting the knowledge of truth.

   • 1641, Francis Bacon, A Wise and Moderate Discourse, Concerning Church-Affaires

     frustrate the best endeavours in the edifying of the church

Related terms

• edification
• edificator
• edifice
• edifier
• edifying

Translations

Anagrams

• deify

English

Alternative forms

• ædification (archaic)

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin aedificationem (“building, construction”), an accusative form of aedificatio, from aedificare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??d?f??ke???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

edification (countable and uncountable, plural edifications)

1. The act of edifying, or the state of being edified or improved; a building process, especially morally, emotionally, or spiritually
   • March 14, 2018, Roger Penrose writing in The Guardian, 'Mind over matter': Stephen Hawking – obituary

     It seems clear that he took great delight in his commonly perceived role as “the No 1 celebrity scientist”; huge audiences would attend his public lectures, perhaps not always just for scientific edification.

2. (archaic) A building or edifice.

Related terms

• edificant
• edificator
• edificatory
• edificial
• edifice
• edifier
• edify
• edifyingly
• edifyingness

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “edification”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• deification