cathedral

Definition of cathedralnext
as in tower
a large, magnificent, or massive building the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cathedral Filling the sudden 11th-hour gap in the Iowa State Fair Grandstand lineup, after Rod Stewart had to cancel for medical reasons, Waite turned the stage into a pop-rock cathedral for his biggest hits over the past five decades on short notice. Jessica Rish, Des Moines Register, 15 Aug. 2026 The fire was catastrophic, but the heat stopped short of the full depth, even in vaults – the arched stone ceilings of the cathedral – only about 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 centimeters) thick. Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 In Manizales, also within the country’s coffee growing axis, other footage showed a tower atop the city’s landmark Gothic cathedral toppled from its foundation. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 In nearby Manizales, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave. ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cathedral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathedral
Noun
  • Its flowing, inward-curving shape wraps around a 30-foot central tower, forming a space where people can come together to reflect, remember, and gather.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The investigation report also said the fire resulted from hot metal particles falling onto vegetation below the tower, which had not been cleared in years.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Since Harald's death Friday morning, tens of thousands of Norwegians have expressed their grief by laying flowers, writing cards and lighting candles in front of the royal palace in Oslo, where the coffin arrived late Friday from the hospital.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This location is more residential, with quieter streets and approachable local trattorias, but offers several architecturally significant palaces and one of the city's oldest churches, the 11th-century San Zan Degola.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Over time, however, some intrepid people moved into the ruins of these edifices, setting up tents on the concrete floors, using bed sheets as walls, cooking on makeshift stoves.
    Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • To achieve freedom, then, is to escape character, and with it the whole edifice of novelistic contrivance.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cathedral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathedral. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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