The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Edify \Ed"i*fy\, v. i.
   To improve. [R.] --Swift.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Edify \Ed"i*fy\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Edified; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Edifying.] [F. ['e]difier, L. aedificare; aedes a building,
   house, orig., a fireplace (akin to Gr. ? to burn, Skr. idh to
   kindle, OHG. eit funeral pile, AS. [=a]d, OIr. aed fire) +
   facere to make. See Fact, -fy.]
   1. To build; to construct. [Archaic]
      [1913 Webster]

            There was a holy chapel edified.      --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious
      knowledge; to teach.
      [1913 Webster]

            It does not appear probable that our dispute [about
            miracles] would either edify or enlighten the
            public.                               --Gibbon.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To teach or persuade. [Obs.] --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

edify
    v 1: make understand; "Can you enlighten me--I don't understand
         this proposal" [syn: enlighten, edify]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

61 Moby Thesaurus words for "edify":
   acculturate, advance, ameliorate, amend, better, boost,
   bring forward, broaden the mind, catechize, civilize, demonstrate,
   direct, educate, elevate, elucidate, emend, enhance, enlighten,
   enrich, fatten, favor, forward, foster, give instruction,
   give lessons in, go straight, ground, guide, illume, illumine,
   improve, improve upon, inform, instruct, irradiate, lard, lift,
   make an improvement, meliorate, mend, nurture, open the eyes,
   promote, raise, reeducate, refine upon, reform, school, set right,
   sharpen the wits, show, show how, socialize, straighten out, teach,
   teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, transfigure, transform,
   upgrade, uplift