exterior

American  

[ik-steer-ee-er] / ɪkˈstɪər i ər /

adjective

1. outer; being on the outer side.

   the exterior surface; exterior decorations.

   Synonyms:

   superficial, external, outside, outward

   Antonyms:

   interior

2. intended or suitable for outdoor use.

   exterior paint.

3. situated or being outside; pertaining to or connected with what is outside.

   the exterior territories of a country.

   Synonyms:

   extrinsic, foreign, extraneous, outlying

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noun

• exteriors
  plural

1. the outer surface or part; outside.

   Synonyms:

   face

   Antonyms:

   interior

2. outward form or appearance.

   She has a placid exterior, but inside she is tormented.

   Synonyms:

   aspect, mien

3. Mathematics. the collection of points not contained in the closure of a given set.

exterior British  

/ ɪkˈstɪərɪə /

noun

1. a part, surface, or region that is on the outside

2. the observable outward behaviour or appearance of a person

3. a film or scene shot outside a studio

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adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the outside

   exterior cleaning

2. coming or acting from without; external

   exterior complications

3. of or involving foreign nations

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• exteriorly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exteriors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of exterior

1525–35; < Latin, comparative of exter or exterus on the outside, outward. See ex- ¹

Explanation

Something that's exterior is on the outside of some structure or object. An exterior door on a house opens to the outdoors, rather than connecting one room to another. Exterior house paint is made for painting the shingles or siding of your home, not the walls of your living room, and the exterior finish of a car is on the outside. You can also use exterior as a noun, to mean the outside of something: "The exterior of this salad bowl is a weird shade of yellow." Exterior is a Latin word, a comparative of exterus, "on the outside, outward, or foreign."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exterior exteriors

The provider of exterior home and outdoor living solutions will receive EUR840 million in cash, or about $980 million, from the sale, the company said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Builders of major developments in or near dark sky sites would be required to carry out a lighting assessment to justify the need for exterior lights.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

She’s stern, unsmiling and outspoken, although there is, of course, a soft center under that hard exterior.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

While the exterior features a traditional red brick facade, the interior follows a much funkier black-and-white theme throughout the main living spaces.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

From the exterior, it appears to be a coal train, or something similar.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

It’s an indication that decades of efforts to clear flammable plants around homes and fortify their exteriors against flames, heat and embers are being outpaced by increasingly extreme wildfire behavior and construction in fire-prone areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

Few automobile exteriors are ever finished like this, with its broad, sterling-like chrome garnishes at the lower grille intakes, the rocker panels, exhaust outlets and bumpers, all smoothed perfectly into the blown-glass curvatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

While no photos of the ultraprivate property are available, a shot from Reynolds’ Instagram account with his mom gives a sense of the graphite exteriors of the charming property.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Murphy describes the Union Street buildings as being "stone box exteriors with timber in it" - the same sort of design technique used by Mackintosh at the School of Art.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that’s been blown off the exteriors of the candy-colored buildings.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• coating
• facade
• skin
• surface