basilica
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basilica
- /bəˈsɪlɪkə/ UK
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin basilica, from Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλῐκή (băsĭlĭkḗ), from βᾰσῐλῐκὴ στοά (băsĭlĭkḕ stoá, “royal hall”), ultimately from βασιλικός (basilikós, “royal”), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king, chief”). Doublet of basoche.
noun basilicas · basilicae
- A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.
- A Roman Catholic church or cathedral with basilican status, an honorific status granted by the pope to recognize its historical, architectural, or sacramental importance.
- An apartment provided in the houses of persons of importance, where assemblies were held for dispensing justice; hence, any large hall used for this purpose.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: church, aisled, body, nave, apsis, apse chapel, narthex, hall church, apsidole, cathedral, apse, clerestory, baptistry, paradise, antetemple, triforium
Translations
Talk about this word "basilica." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/basilica. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. basilica. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/basilica "basilica." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/basilica.Cite this
@misc{basilica_2026,
title = {basilica},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/basilica},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
