as in educating
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
a family-oriented show that tried to edify the television audience as well as entertain it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in explanatory
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in uplifting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of edifying
Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 1 Feb. 2022
May our conversation be joyful, edifying and encouraging.
—Blair Donovan, Country Living, 18 Oct. 2022
Without asking you to comment on ACS specifically, in your opinion, can anything positive or edifying ever come from a true-crime series that is made without the family's involvement?
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2022
Recent years have seen a notable rise in the retelling and memorializing of the more positive and edifying human qualities that were also part of a searingly traumatic time, say postcolonial historians and experts in Partition.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for edifying
Verb
Despite the pitfalls, some edifying points are delivered well in the special — namely, in establishing that Janet always saw her older brother Michael as her competition, despite being frequently positioned against Madonna’s reign.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 1 Feb. 2022
May our conversation be joyful, edifying and encouraging.
—Blair Donovan, Country Living, 18 Oct. 2022
Without asking you to comment on ACS specifically, in your opinion, can anything positive or edifying ever come from a true-crime series that is made without the family's involvement?
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2022
Recent years have seen a notable rise in the retelling and memorializing of the more positive and edifying human qualities that were also part of a searingly traumatic time, say postcolonial historians and experts in Partition.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for edifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for edifying
Verb
-
She's spent over six months educating her following of over 700,000 about JEB.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Going the extra mile to welcome Latino students A small Catholic university that dates back to 1922, Dominican has a history of educating the children of immigrants — in earlier times those of northern and central European origin.—
Jon Marcus,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Of all the various isms proposed to capture Trump’s ideology, social Darwinism has perhaps the most explanatory power.—
Erik Baker,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
-
That by itself seemed innocuous, and thus the prosecutor (who did not have easy access to the explanatory data) was unable to explain to the judge why the office had decided to seek confinement.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
The song became Lennon’s bestselling recording as a solo artist, even as Ono’s role in inspiring and writing it was initially uncredited.—
Barbara Spindel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
24 Mar. 2025
-
In a touching act of love and sacrifice, Aaron McDonald donated his kidney, giving his mother a second chance at life and inspiring thousands on Reddit.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Here is a detailed outlook for when the Bills return for training camp in late July.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
But the attempt to throw a lifeline to the fossil fuel industry could be too little, too late, as detailed in this New Yorker article by Bill McKibben.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
These conversations are always enlightening, revealing a different level of creative thinking.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
The trio’s most enlightening conversation centered around looking at watches as investments.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
As Jimmy Lennox, a musician carrying a torch for Susan Sarandon's Louise, Madsen got to do some of the most moving and mercurial work of his career.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
-
One of the most moving elements of the book is all the friends who come and go as the pages flip, the many people who, in variety equal to their number, try to help Lacey cope (one gives her bricks to throw at a wall, another tells her to read Seneca).—
Diana Arterian
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The line of questioning, which looped in the purchase of flights, drugs and copious amounts of baby oil, was aimed at showing that Combs' behavior amounted to criminal conspiracy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
-
Large language models also train on copious materials in the public domain—but much of what is most useful to these models, particularly as users seek real-time information from chatbots, is news that exists behind a paywall.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The rediscovery comes at a poignant time for Dana and her family.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
30 June 2025
-
In one of the film’s most poignant moments, Johan lovingly applies Testogel to William’s thighs.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Edifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/edifying. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share