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

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

In 2018, Inc. magazine wrote that at age 80, he “possesses, beneath the kindly exterior of a soft-spoken Florida retiree, a spine of steel.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

In collaboration with artist Niki Haas, the space features elegant marble furnishings while its exterior is classic brick.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Far below Europa's bitterly cold exterior, a global ocean may remain liquid because Jupiter's immense gravitational pull repeatedly stretches and compresses the moon.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

We stayed there two hours in ecstasy, running through the huge rooms ... and trying to read the exterior inscriptions in the moonlight.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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

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

For fire zones, the company is adding fire-rated panels to its modules’ exteriors while it works to make the composite formula itself more fire resistant, Eidelman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

For exteriors, though, “White is the formula, until the market says it’s not.”

From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2025

“DRINKING” and “CLEANING” were written in black paint on the exteriors.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• coating
• facade
• skin
• surface