Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EDIFY
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pronounce
EDIFY:
Say it "EDD if eye."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Our word edify comes from the Latin aedificare, "to make a building."
So does another word we've studied, one that looks very much like edify. An edifi__ is a large, imposing building. Can you recall that one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Edify" has Latin bits that literally mean "to construct (a building)."
To edify someone is to build up their moral character, as if you're making them tall and strong, like a building.
In other words, to edify someone is to provide them with information, understanding, or experiences that make them stronger, better, wiser, and/or kinder.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "The film is meant to edify us;" "I hate it when the narrator is constantly trying to edify me."
Other forms:
Edified, edifying & unedifying, edification.
And, if you dare, "edifyingly." Sounds clunky, right? Maybe not if you pair it with another adverb; for example, a New York Times writer concluded a piece by noting how an art exhibit made its point "painfully, if edifyingly, clear."
how to use it:
"Edify" is semi-common and very formal.
Most of the time, we turn it into an adjective: we talk about edifying ideas, stories, experiences, etc.
Because "edify" looks like "educate" and has a similar meaning, some people use "edify" as a loftier-sounding synonym for "educate," as in "Thanks for the link to your PowerPoint. It was very edifying." I recommend avoiding that; to me it sounds snobby and sarcastic. Unless that's exactly the tone you're going for, like in the example below from Shirley Jackson.
examples:
"I'll sit over here with Nell, and if you come across any particularly edifying moral precepts you think would do me good, read them aloud."
— Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, 1959
"We stepped out the door into a thicket of microphones and television cameras. As a journalist, I found it edifying to experience things from the other side of the fence. The throng of reporters wanted a neatly scripted version of the calamity, replete with villains and heroes."
— Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, 1997
has this page helped you understand "edify"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "edify" without saying "morally uplift" or "spiritually instruct."
try it out:
In the Guardian, David Cox argues that zombie movies can be edifying:
"Stripped of individual dignity and condemned to futile depredation, zombies are seen as embodying the state of contemporary humanity. If they're enslaved by their condition, so are the rest of us by capitalism and officialdom... From this perspective, it's the uninfected survivors who may well become the villains. Their deliberate brutality may look uglier than the innocent aggression of their guileless if savage antagonists."
Yup, I'd buy that. I do feel edified after watching a (good) zombie movie.
With Cox's point in mind as an example, talk about another type of movie, show, book, song, or other creation that's made to entertain but can also edify.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is MYP Wordles!
You're likely familiar with the popular new game Wordle, created by Josh Wardle and recently purchased by the New York Times. You can play the real Wordle each day here.
It's fun, simple, and addictive. You try to guess the five-letter word. Each time you guess, you see how close you are: a green box means you've gotten the right letter in the right spot; a yellow box means you've gotten a letter that's in the word but in the wrong spot; a gray box means you've guessed a letter that isn't in the word at all.
There's only one real Wordle every day. But luckily for us, the good folks at StriveMath.com have created a copycat Wordle tool, so you can play as many Wordles as you want, and even create and share your own.
So, in each issue this month, try the MYP Wordle linked below. The answer will be a word we've studied. I'll give a series of hints that you can reveal if you choose to. If you can't figure out the answer, you can let the puzzle reveal it, or you can scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Click here to play today's MYP Wordle.
If you need some hints, highlight the hidden white text below.
The letter it starts with is… A
The vowels it includes are… A and E
The part of speech is… adjective (and noun)
The definition is… very skillful or very knowledgeable when it comes to doing something specific (or a person who's very skillful)
review this word:
A. JOIN, COMBINE, or UNITE.
B. BLIND, CORRUPT, or DEBAUCH.
C. CRUSH, SMOTHER, or CONDENSE.
2.
A writer for Points in Case joked, "Looking back on your well wishes in our 8th-grade yearbook... I did not _____."
A. dole out edifying nicknames like 'Hambone' or 'Squid'
B. take your edifying advice to stay my authentic, off-the-hook self
C. follow through on your edifying aspirations like having a 'GR8 Summer'
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Our word edify comes from the Latin aedificare, "to make a building."
"Edify" has Latin bits that literally mean "to construct (a building)."
Part of speech:
"Edify" is semi-common and very formal.
"I'll sit over here with Nell, and if you come across any particularly edifying moral precepts you think would do me good, read them aloud."
Explain the meaning of "edify" without saying "morally uplift" or "spiritually instruct."
In the Guardian, David Cox argues that zombie movies can be edifying:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |