Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - basilica

 noun  Etymology: Latin, from Greek basilike, from feminine of basilikos royal, from basileus king  Date: 1541  1. an oblong building ending in a semicircular apse used in ancient Rome especially for a court of justice and place of public assembly  2. an early Christian church building consisting of nave and aisles with clerestory and a large high transept from which an apse projects  3. a Roman Catholic church given ceremonial privileges  • ~n adjective