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
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.
This includes 2018’s “WDCH Dreams,” which mapped 45 terabytes of orchestral metadata onto the exterior of Walt Disney Concert Hall,
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Its black-and-white exterior is also covered in a 24,000-piece thermal protection system in a grid-like pattern of specially insulated blankets and tiles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Footage broadcast by Indian news channels showed its exterior badly charred as emergency workers searched the site.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Every exterior structure, from the guesthouse to the barn, has been renovated to ensure that they offer the same opulent luxury as the main residence.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
A man in splattered white coveralls stood outside it, apparently taking a break from painting the exterior.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
