exterior
Americanadjective
-
outer; being on the outer side.
the exterior surface; exterior decorations.
- Synonyms:
- superficial, external, outside, outward
- Antonyms:
- interior
-
intended or suitable for outdoor use.
exterior paint.
-
situated or being outside; pertaining to or connected with what is outside.
the exterior territories of a country.
- Synonyms:
- extrinsic, foreign, extraneous, outlying
noun
-
a part, surface, or region that is on the outside
-
the observable outward behaviour or appearance of a person
-
a film or scene shot outside a studio
adjective
-
of, situated on, or suitable for the outside
exterior cleaning
-
coming or acting from without; external
exterior complications
-
of or involving foreign nations
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing exterior
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The semi-detached homes have separate owners, but were built by the same architect and contractor to an agreed exterior design.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
In a typical day’s work, El Charro will cover half of the building’s exterior, methodically searching for hot spots and pointing Ford staff to nests that are later removed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Evidence is building that Uranus' moon Ariel may once have contained a vast ocean beneath its frozen exterior.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
He threatened to tear down the venue after a judge ruled this week that his name cannot be added onto the building's exterior.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I would choose my time with caution. Sometimes beneath that gruff exterior is a far gruffer one.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Behind nondescript exteriors in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” some employees log up to 30,000 steps a day while others ride scooters down echoey hallways and sniff for overheating equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
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
Most films have instead relied on resourceful camerawork, creative license and shrewd editing to bring an authentic, you-are-there quality to footage lensed mainly in and around Cannes, including iconic festival exteriors and the attendant bustle.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 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
If they were educated, like I am, they’d learn to see past shades and beyond exteriors and see people.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
