EDIFICATION

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does edification mean? 

• EDIFICATION (noun)
  The noun EDIFICATION has 1 sense:

1. uplifting enlightenment

  Familiarity information: EDIFICATION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EDIFICATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Uplifting enlightenment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

edification; sophistication

Hypernyms ("edification" is a kind of...):

enlightenment (education that results in understanding and the spread of knowledge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "edification"):

disenchantment; disillusion; disillusionment (freeing from false belief or illusions)

Derivation:

edify (make understand)

 Context examples 

I pressed Traddles into the service without his knowledge; and whenever he came to see us, exploded my mines upon him for the edification of Dora at second hand.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Should any little accidental disappointment of the appetite occur, such as the spoiling of a meal, the under or the over dressing of a dish, the incident ought not to be neutralised by replacing with something more delicate the comfort lost, thus pampering the body and obviating the aim of this institution; it ought to be improved to the spiritual edification of the pupils, by encouraging them to evince fortitude under temporary privation.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“Because,” said the milkman, going on as if he had received no answer, and speaking, as I judged from his tone, rather for the edification of somebody within the house, than of the youthful servant—an impression which was strengthened by his manner of glaring down the passage—“because that there little bill has been running so long, that I begin to believe it's run away altogether, and never won't be heerd of.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)