edify

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: ed=i=fy

CIDE DICTIONARY

edify, v. i. [F. édifier, L. aedificare; aedes a building, house, orig., a fireplace (akin to Gr. to burn, Skr. idh to kindle, OHG. eit funeral pile, AS. ād, OIr. aed fire) + facere to make. See Fact, -fy.].

•  To build; to construct.  [1913 Webster]

  "There was a holy chapel edified."  [1913 Webster]
•  To instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious knowledge; to teach.  [1913 Webster]

  "It does not appear probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public."  [1913 Webster]
•  To teach or persuade.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

edify, v. i. 

 To improve.  Swift.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

edify, v.tr. (-ies, -ied) (of a circumstance, experience, etc.) instruct and improve morally or intellectually.

Derivative

edification n. edifying adj. edifyingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF edifier f. L aedificare (as EDIFICE)

THESAURUS

edify

acculturate, advance, ameliorate, amend, better, boost, bring forward, broaden the mind, catechize, civilize, demonstrate, direct, educate, elevate, elucidate, emend, enhance, enlighten, enrich, fatten, favor, forward, foster, give instruction, give lessons in, go straight, ground, guide, illume, illumine, improve, improve upon, inform, instruct, irradiate, lard, lift, make an improvement, meliorate, mend, nurture, open the eyes, promote, raise, reeducate, refine upon, reform, school, set right, sharpen the wits, show, show how, socialize, straighten out, teach, teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, transfigure, transform, upgrade, uplift

ROGET THESAURUS

edify

Production

VB produce, perform, operate, do, make, gar, form, construct, fabricate, frame, contrive, manufacture, weave, forge, coin, carve, chisel, build, raise, edify, rear, erect, put together, set up, run up, establish, constitute, compose, organize, institute, achieve, accomplish, flower, bear fruit, fructify, teem, ean, yean, farrow, drop, pup, kitten, kindle, bear, lay, whelp, bring forth, give birth to, lie in, be brought to bed of, evolve, pullulate, usher into the world, make productive, create, beget, get, generate, fecundate, impregnate, procreate, progenerate, propagate, engender, bring into being, call into being, bring into existence, breed, hatch, develop, bring up, induce, superinduce, suscitate, cause, acquire.

Piety

VB be pious, have faith, believe, receive Christ, revere, be converted, convert, edify, sanctify, keep holy, beatify, regenerate, inspire, consecrate, enshrine.

Teaching

VB teach, instruct, educate, edify, school, tutor, cram, prime, coach, enlighten, inculcate, indoctrinate, inoculate, infuse, instill, infix, ingraft, infiltrate, imbue, impregnate, implant, graft, sow the seeds of, disseminate, given an idea of, put up to, put in the way of, set right, sharpen the wits, enlarge the mind, give new ideas, open the eyes, bring forward, teach the young idea how to shoot, improve, expound, lecture, read a lesson, give a lesson, give a lecture, give a sermon, give a discourse, incept, hold forth, preach, sermonize, moralize, point a moral, train, discipline, bring up, bring up to, form, ground, prepare, qualify, drill, exercise, practice, habituate, familiarize with, nurture, drynurse, breed, rear, take in hand, break, break in, tame, preinstruct, initiate, inure, put to nurse, send to school, direct, guide, direct attention to, impress upon the mind, impress upon the memory, beat into, beat into the head, convince, book, workbook, exercise book, preach to the wise, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, teach granny to suck eggs, preach to the converted.