terrace

American  

[ter-uhs] / ˈtɛr əs /

noun

1. 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.

2. the top of such a construction, used as a platform, garden, road, etc.

3. a nearly level strip of land with a more or less abrupt descent along the margin of the sea, a lake, or a river.

4. the flat roof of a house.

5. an open, often paved area connected to a house or an apartment house and serving as an outdoor living area; deck.

6. an open platform, as projecting from the outside wall of an apartment; a large balcony.

7. a row of houses on or near the top of a slope.

8. a residential street following the top of a slope.

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verb (used with or without object)

terraced, terracing

1. to form into or furnish with a terrace or terraces.

terrace British  

/ ˈtɛrəs /

noun

1. a horizontal flat area of ground, often one of a series in a slope

2. 1. a row of houses, usually identical and having common dividing walls, or the street onto which they face

   2. ( cap when part of a street name )

      Grosvenor Terrace

3. a paved area alongside a building, serving partly as a garden

4. a balcony or patio

5. the flat roof of a house built in a Spanish or Oriental style

6. a flat area bounded by a short steep slope formed by the down-cutting of a river or by erosion

7. (usually plural)

   1. unroofed tiers around a football pitch on which the spectators stand

   2. the spectators themselves

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verb

1. (tr) to make into or provide with a terrace or terraces

Other Word Forms

• terraceless
  adjective
• unterraced
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

When drones fly overhead, her husband looks on from the outside, while she sticks to the terrace.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Salt added that estate agents told her she could not list her three-bedroom end of terrace to sell without certification.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

“Enjoy stunning, unobstructed water views from your private terrace, creating the perfect backdrop for relaxation or entertaining.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The original standing Kop terrace was abandoned in 2007 and was unused until its demolition in January 2023.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

I remember standing on the terrace and staring up at the sky as the foolish rockets burst and fell.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• balcony
• deck
• gallery
• patio
• platform
• porch
• promenade
• roof