Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

basilica

/bəˈsɪlɪkə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.08 in modern English

Syllables
basil-i-ca
IPA
/bəˈsɪlɪkə/
12
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.

noun

A Roman Catholic church or cathedral with basilican status, an honorific status granted by the pope to recognize its historical, architectural, or sacramental importance.

noun

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.

Obsolete

Etymology

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: basilica, βᾰσῐλῐκή

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /bəˈsɪlɪkə/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Places.

Inflected Forms

basilicas (plural) basilicae (plural)

Derived Forms

archbasilica basilical basilican

Synonyms

roman basilica

Questions

How do you pronounce basilica?
The recorded pronunciation is /bəˈsɪlɪkə/.
What does basilica mean?
A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.
Where does basilica come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce basilica

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “basilica”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bəˈsɪlɪkə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “basilica”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “basilica” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.