# basilica

> English word · Noun · IPA /bəˈsɪlɪkə/ · frequency rank #26,009

## Definitions
1. A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.
2. A Roman Catholic church or cathedral with basilican status, an honorific status granted by the pope to recognize its historical, architectural, or sacramental importance.
3. 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.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **Brasilia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/basilica-vs-brasilia)

## Common misspellings (11)
`absilica`, `baislica`, `basiilca`, `basilcia`, `basiliac`, `basilicca`, `basillica`, `basliica`, `bassilica`, `bbasilica`, `bsailica`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/basilica