Basilica
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.
- 2 a Roman building used for public administration wordnet
- 3 A Roman Catholic church or cathedral with basilican status, an honorific status granted by the pope to recognize its historical, architectural, or sacramental importance.
- 4 an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges wordnet
- 5 An apartment provided in the houses of persons of importance, where assemblies were held for dispensing justice; hence, any large hall used for this purpose. obsolete
Example
More examples"The colonnade of the basilica of Saint Peter is truly grand and beautiful."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin basilica, from Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλῐκή (băsĭlĭkḗ), from βᾰσῐλῐκὴ στοά (băsĭlĭkḕ stoá, “royal hall”), ultimately from βασιλικός (basilikós, “royal”), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king, chief”). Doublet of basoche.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.