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

Built in 1976, the interior and exterior of the two-story home were lovingly refreshed to reflect Keaton’s signature modern black-and-white aesthetic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The team also regularly identifies missing or incorrectly installed weep vents - which are installed in exterior walls to let moisture escape.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Its towering, mostly unbroken face and narrow swimming pool suggested a rampart and a moat, but behind the concrete exterior, Caland eliminated every door save the guest bathroom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 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

The excellent exterior acoustics recorded his rushing steps and the quick rapping of his cane along the corridor and on the first steps of the marble stairway.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

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

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

Ford switched the F-series pickups’ exteriors to aluminum from steel a decade ago to make the trucks lighter and improve fuel economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025

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