[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

edifying \ed"ify`ing\, a.
   instructing; improving; as, an edifying conversation. --
   ed"ify`ingly, adv. -- ed"ify`ingness, n.
   1913 webster
see also:
ed"ify`ingly ed"ify`ingness 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

edify \ed"ify\, v. i. imp.  p. p. edified; p. pr.  vb. n.
   edifying. f. 'edifier, l. aedificare; aedes a building,
   house, orig., a fireplace akin to gr. ? to burn, skr. idh to
   kindle, ohg. eit funeral pile, as. =ad, oir. aed fire +
   facere to make. see fact, -fy.
   1. to build; to construct. archaic
      1913 webster

            there was a holy chapel edified.      --spenser.
      1913 webster

   2. 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.                               --gibbon.
      1913 webster

   3. to teach or persuade. obs. --bacon.
      1913 webster
see also:
edified edifying fact -fy 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

edifying
     adj : enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or
           moral improvement; "the paintings in the church served
           an edifying purpose even for those who could not read"
           syn: enlightening ant: unedifying
see also:
enlightening unedifying 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

24 moby thesaurus words for "edifying":
   autodidactic, coeducational, cultural, didactic, disciplinary,
   educating, educational, educative, enlightening, exhortatory,
   homiletic, hortatory, illuminating, informative, initiatory,
   instructive, introductory, lecturing, preaching, preceptive,
   propaedeutic, self-teaching, teaching, tuitionary

Edifying >> E Words
Edifying, definition of term: Edifying
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