terrace
Americannoun
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a raised level with a vertical or sloping front or sides faced with masonry, turf, or the like, especially one of a series of levels rising one above another.
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the top of such a construction, used as a platform, garden, road, etc.
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a nearly level strip of land with a more or less abrupt descent along the margin of the sea, a lake, or a river.
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the flat roof of a house.
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an open, often paved area connected to a house or an apartment house and serving as an outdoor living area; deck.
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an open platform, as projecting from the outside wall of an apartment; a large balcony.
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a row of houses on or near the top of a slope.
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a residential street following the top of a slope.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a horizontal flat area of ground, often one of a series in a slope
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a row of houses, usually identical and having common dividing walls, or the street onto which they face
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( cap when part of a street name )
Grosvenor Terrace
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a paved area alongside a building, serving partly as a garden
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a balcony or patio
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the flat roof of a house built in a Spanish or Oriental style
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a flat area bounded by a short steep slope formed by the down-cutting of a river or by erosion
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(usually plural)
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unroofed tiers around a football pitch on which the spectators stand
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the spectators themselves
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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terracesimple
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terracessimple
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have terracedperfect
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has terracedperfect
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am terracingprogressive
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are terracingprogressive
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is terracingprogressive
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have been terracingperfect progressive
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has been terracingperfect progressive
Past
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terracedsimple
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had terracedperfect
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was terracingprogressive
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were terracingprogressive
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had been terracingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of terrace
1505–15; earlier terrasse < Middle French < Old Provençal terrassa < Vulgar Latin *terrācea, feminine of *terrāceus. See terra, -aceous
Explanation
A terrace is a paved or brick outdoor area right next to a house or apartment. You might have a nice dinner out on your terrace, enjoying the sunset. Terrace and patio are synonyms. Another meaning for terrace is "a block of row houses that are connected by shared walls and are built in a similar style." Terrace also refers to flat areas on a hillside where people farm or have built houses. That land has been terraced, meaning "made into shelves."
Vocabulary lists containing terrace
Learning Down The House: Parts of Your Home
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Elements of the Universe: Terr, Terra ("Earth")
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
South America - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Silence Is Talking by Reverend & The Makers is reborn as the terrace anthem, aided by the trumpeter in the England band playing the familiar riff taken from War's 1975 song Low Rider.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The grounds also include a heated pool and expansive terrace, which was built for entertaining.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Even ongoing matches fail to stop them gathering on a nearby terrace to eye up what treats await below.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
As the exhibition text explains, “In ancient Egypt, the terrace before the temple functioned as an open meeting place between the deity and larger crowds.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Tío Ermenio points to the tiny house on the terrace.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
The sprawling compound comes with a detached three-bedroom guesthouse, an office with an apartment above the garage, and expansive terraces.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Sculpted into the eastern landscape, a series of stone terraces with a bluestone bar directly overlook Greenwich Cove and the vast protected expanse of Greenwich Point Park.”
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Bar terraces are buzzing with activity into late evenings again as people try to soak in every bit of sun after the long winter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Dragged to football matches by his son, Morris became fascinated by the passion of the fans on the terraces.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
I remember it as a mighty house with turrets on its roof and with majestic lawns and terraces all around it.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
We move up towards the two streets of terraced houses which have become the focal point of the disorder.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Filled with eccentric decorative touches that mirrored Simmons’ vibrant public persona, the property features everything from staircase cherubs and boldly patterned wallpaper to curved French doors, terraced gardens, and a key-shaped swimming pool.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
On a stereotypically rainy day in Manchester, we're ushered into a kitchen that at first glance appears to be in a normal terraced house.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Don’t Miss: Naumkeag, a Gilded Age estate in Stockbridge, where you’ll find terraced gardens and sculptural hedges—ideal fodder for a reset after time spent with screaming tweens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Ang Dorje hailed from Pangboche, an aggregation of stonewalled houses and terraced potato fields clinging to a rugged hillside at 13,000 feet.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
The official capacity was just more than 31,000, although three-quarters of the ground was terracing.
From BBC ● May 23, 2024
“We knew we’d have to do a bit of terracing and retaining, but California is what it is,” Tenney said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
The upper-tier will become outdoor terracing for new homes.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 5, 2022
The towering crane remains, along with some green nets meant to help restore the erosion-preventing terracing.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2022
The principal reason for its success was its innovative techniques of terracing and irrigation, the latter being used to implement the former.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
