interior

[in-teer-ee-er]

adjective

1. being within; inside of anything; internal; inner; further toward a center.

   the interior rooms of a house.

   Antonyms: exterior

2. of or relating to that which is within; inside.

   an interior view.

3. situated well inland from the coast or border.

   the interior towns of a country.

4. of or relating to the inland.

5. domestic.

   interior trade.

6. private or hidden; inner.

   interior negotiations of the council.

7. pertaining to the mind or soul; mental or spiritual.

   the interior life.

noun

1. the internal or inner part; inside.

   Antonyms: exterior

2. Architecture.

   1. the inside part of a building, considered as a whole from the point of view of artistic design or general effect, convenience, etc.

   2. a single room or apartment so considered.

3. a pictorial representation of the inside of a room.

4. the inland parts of a region, country, etc..

   the Alaskan interior.

5. the domestic affairs of a country as distinguished from its foreign affairs.

   the Department of the Interior.

6. the inner or inward nature or character of anything.

7. Mathematics.,  the largest open set contained in a given set, as the points in a circle not including the boundary.

interior

¹

/ ɪnˈtɪərɪə /

noun

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

   the interior of Africa

2. inner character or nature

3. a film or scene shot inside a building, studio, etc

4. a picture of the inside of a room or building, as in a painting or stage design

5. the inside of a building or room, with respect to design and decoration

adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the inside; inner

2. coming or acting from within; internal

3. of or involving a nation's domestic affairs; internal

4. (esp of one's spiritual or mental life) secret or private; not observable

Interior

²

/ ɪnˈtɪərɪə /

noun

1. (in titles) the domestic or internal affairs of any of certain countries

   Department of the Interior

Other Word Forms

• interiorly adverb
• interiority noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of interior¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin, comparative adjective equivalent to inter- “inward” + -ior comparative suffix; exterior

Word History and Origins

Origin of interior¹

C15: from Latin (adj), comparative of inter within

Synonym Study

See inside.

Example Sentences

A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry said security units surrounded them and engaged in heavy fighting to detain them.

Read more on BBC

Bruno Retailleau, the hardline LR interior minister in the previous government, on Saturday said his party should not take any of the portfolios in the next government Lecornu is trying to form.

Read more on Barron's

Sediment analysis confirmed the existence of these ancient water sources, which would have provided essential support for human groups venturing into the desert interior and allowed them to survive in this challenging environment.

Read more on Science Daily

The interior minister has already warned that no candidate is allowed to declare victory beforehand.

Read more on BBC

And while it’s true that a deal can be sealed via cellphone from the sundeck, the interior setups can be quite elaborate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• internal 
• remote