edify

C2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈɛdɪfaɪ/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #121988

Meanings

1

verb
To improve someone morally or intellectually through teaching.

The lecture series was meant to edify and inspire young students.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to improve someone morally... enlighten

Word family

Forms edifiededifiesedifying

Derived forms disedifyreedify

Related forms edification edificator edifice edifieredifying

Etymology

From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).

*h₂eydʰ- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# edify

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈɛdɪfaɪ
**Frequency rank:** 121988

## Meanings
1. To improve someone morally or intellectually through teaching.

## Examples
- The lecture series was meant to edify and inspire young students.

## Derived Forms
- disedify
- reedify

## Related Forms
- edification
- edificator
- edifice
- edifier
- edifying

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eydʰ-
- Root: *dʰeh₁-

## Etymology
From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).

## AI Etymology
Edify is from Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”). Important recorded forms include *h₂eydʰ- (Proto-Indo-European) and *dʰeh₁- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include to improve someone morally or intellectually through teaching. The wider family includes derived forms such as disedify and reedify and related words such as edification, edificator, edifice, edifier, and edifying.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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edify

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