bəˈsilə̇kə, -lēkə also -ˈzi- noun
( plural basilicas -kəz ; also basili·cae -ˌkī, -ˌsē, -ˌchā)
Etymology: Latin, from Greek basilikē, from feminine of basilikos royal, from basileus king + -ikos -ic
1. : an oblong building typically with a broad nave flanked by colonnaded aisles or porticoes and ending in a semicircular apse used in ancient Rome especially for a court of justice and place of public assembly
2.
[Late Latin, from Latin]
: an early Christian church building consisting of nave and aisles with clerestory, sometimes a narthex, and a large high transept from which an apse projects and in its simplest form having a wooden roof, brick walls, and decorations usually in mosaic or interior painting
3. : a Roman Catholic church or cathedral having certain liturgical privileges — used as a canonical title
the church was raised to the rank of basilica