edify

[ ed-uh-fahy ]
See synonyms for: edifyedifying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ed·i·fied, ed·i·fy·ing.
  1. to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; uplift: religious paintings that edify the viewer.

Origin of edify

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English edifien, from Anglo-French, Old French edifier, from Latin aedificāre “to build,” equivalent to aedi- (stem of aedes ) “house, temple” + -ficāre -fy

Other words from edify

  • ed·i·fi·er, noun
  • non·ed·i·fied, adjective
  • re·ed·i·fy, verb (used with object), re·ed·i·fied, re·ed·i·fy·ing.
  • un·ed·i·fied, adjective

Words Nearby edify

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How to use edify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for edify

edify

/ (ˈɛdɪˌfaɪ) /


verb-fies, -fying or -fied
  1. (tr) to improve the morality, intellect, etc, of, esp by instruction

Origin of edify

1
C14: from Old French edifier, from Latin aedificāre to construct, from aedēs a dwelling, temple + facere to make

Derived forms of edify

  • edifier, noun
  • edifying, adjective
  • edifyingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012