MEANING
To instruct in a way intended to improve understanding or moral judgment.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- edify an audience
- edifying account
On the page
The memoir seeks to edify without preaching.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- edify
- Past tense
- edified
- Past participle
- edified
- Present participle
- edifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- edify
- Present continuous
- am/is/are edifying
- Present perfect
- have/has edified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been edifying
- Past
- edified
- Past continuous
- was/were edifying
- Past perfect
- had edified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been edifying
- Future
- will edify
- Future continuous
- will be edifying
- Future perfect
- will have edified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been edifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: edify; edifies; edified; edified; edifying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: edifies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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