interior

American  

[in-teer-ee-er] / ɪnˈtɪər i ər /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ ɪnˈtɪərɪə /

noun

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

   Department of the Interior

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Related Words

See inside.

Other Word Forms

• interiority noun
• interiorly adverb

Etymology

Origin of interior

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

Example Sentences

One of the Gamecocks’ only interior presences, center Madina Okot, had three fouls early in the third quarter.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

It offers the customary plain benches inside, but other interior features, like an iron stove, sit outside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Bees, however, often coat their nests with a waxy secretion that creates a waterproof, polished interior.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

The cause of its collapse, which happened after heavy rain, is unknown, with the interior minister saying investigations are under way.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

By the turn of the century the fringes of the continent were fairly well defined on the charts, but the interior was still an unknown wasteland of ice.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• internal
• remote