Basilica

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bəˈsɪlɪkə/

Definitions

1. A significant religious building designed with a longitudinal layout and multiple spaces for worship, often including an apse and side aisles
2. A notable architectural structure primarily used for Christian worship that features a long nave, multiple aisles, and may include an apse and a richly decorated interior
3. A major church often recognized for its grand size and architectural importance ; a large public building in ancient Rome used for meetings and legal matters

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "basilica" is that its first meaning had nothing to do with churches. In ancient Greece, "basilikē stoa" meant "royal hall" or "royal colonnade": a large public building with columns, where officials and merchants gathered. The Greek adjective "basilikos" meant "royal," and it came from "basileus," the word for "king" or "chief." The Romans borrowed the idea and the name, using "basilica" for their own large covered halls. These were often built around a forum and served as law courts and commercial exchanges, with a rectangular plan and a tribunal at one end. Only later, after Christianity became established, did the term come to be applied to churches built on this longitudinal model, with side aisles and an apse at the far end. The same Greek root also gave English "basil," the herb, via a different route, and "basoche," a term for a community of lawyers in medieval France. The three words are doublets, sharing an origin but reaching English by different paths.

Synonyms: cathedral, church, temple