exterior
1 of 2adjective
ex·te·ri·or ek-ˈstir-ē-ər 
1
: being on an outside surface : situated on the outside
2
: observable by outward signs
his exterior quietness is belied by an occasional nervous twitch—
Current Biography
Current Biography3
: suitable for use on outside surfaces
exteriorly adverb
exterior
2 of 2noun
1
a
: an exterior part or surface : outside
b
: outward manner or appearance
2
: a representation (as on stage or film) of an outdoor scene
also : a scene filmed outdoors
Synonyms
Adjective
- external
- outer
- outside
- outward
Noun
- face
- outside
- shell
- skin
- surface
- veneer
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective the house's exterior walls badly need to be painted Noun The building has a rather plain exterior. the exterior of the tooth consists of very hard enamel
Recent Examples on the WebTodd Plummer, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2023 Those niceties include blind-spot monitoring, a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, and heated front seats. —Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 26 Jan. 2023 Nano’s uses thick pork belly, fried until a deep, dark orange with a smooth skin, a deviation from the more standard bubbly exterior. —Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Jan. 2023 This is part of Blairstown's famed historic district, and the FNB is where the exterior shots of Annie entering the daytime diner (aka the interior of Hope Junction Antiques) were filmed. —Steven Thrash, EW.com, 13 Jan. 2023 On sunny days, the exterior shines with a light-and-dark pop of an Edward Hopper painting. —Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2022 While most of the exterior shots are real locations, the interiors are all built on sets from the ground up. —Diana Budds, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2022 Your giftee will love the zip-around clamshell design and interior and exterior organization. —Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2023 The goal of the Dronument project is to create an aerial platform enabling interior and exterior documentation of heritage sites. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Jan. 2023 Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 3 Feb. 2023 The exterior of 380 Harrison Avenue #1025, South End. —Jon Gorey, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023 The sleek prototype is packed with futuristic features, like a color-changing exterior and a windshield-spanning head-up display (HUD), which might actually start popping up in the marque’s upcoming vehicles. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2023 The property has a lengthy history of enforcement by the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, mostly for no heat, disrepair of the building's exterior, water leaks and infestations. —Journal Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2022 Conventionally handsome exterior, upscale and user-friendly interior, largely free of EV weirdness. Larger than a Q3 and tidier in size than a Q5, the Q4 50 e-tron Quattro is a platform-mate of the Volkswagen ID.4. —Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 22 Dec. 2022 To add to your home’s high-tech features and monitor your home’s exterior with ease, consider purchasing a wireless doorbell system. —Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2022 The exterior of a shoe store on Melrose Avenue, in the Fairfax District, now features a nearly 30-foot-tall mural of Amini, clad in black and eyes cast downward with the colors of the Iranian flag flowing through her hair. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2022 The handsome residence, completed in 2022, has the classic modern farmhouse exterior of white siding — horizontal on the main level and vertical board and batten on the second story — with black window frames and roof. —oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022 See More
Adjective
What to Consider: The exterior picks up dust easily. —Todd Plummer, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2023 Those niceties include blind-spot monitoring, a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, and heated front seats. —Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 26 Jan. 2023 Nano’s uses thick pork belly, fried until a deep, dark orange with a smooth skin, a deviation from the more standard bubbly exterior. —Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Jan. 2023 This is part of Blairstown's famed historic district, and the FNB is where the exterior shots of Annie entering the daytime diner (aka the interior of Hope Junction Antiques) were filmed. —Steven Thrash, EW.com, 13 Jan. 2023 On sunny days, the exterior shines with a light-and-dark pop of an Edward Hopper painting. —Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2022 While most of the exterior shots are real locations, the interiors are all built on sets from the ground up. —Diana Budds, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2022 Your giftee will love the zip-around clamshell design and interior and exterior organization. —Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2023 The goal of the Dronument project is to create an aerial platform enabling interior and exterior documentation of heritage sites. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Jan. 2023 Noun
The coastline of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, will be getting a new addition in 2026: the sparkling exterior of Bentley Motors' first residential building, rising above a skyline full of luxury condos and hotels. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 3 Feb. 2023 The exterior of 380 Harrison Avenue #1025, South End. —Jon Gorey, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023 The sleek prototype is packed with futuristic features, like a color-changing exterior and a windshield-spanning head-up display (HUD), which might actually start popping up in the marque’s upcoming vehicles. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2023 The property has a lengthy history of enforcement by the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, mostly for no heat, disrepair of the building's exterior, water leaks and infestations. —Journal Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2022 Conventionally handsome exterior, upscale and user-friendly interior, largely free of EV weirdness. Larger than a Q3 and tidier in size than a Q5, the Q4 50 e-tron Quattro is a platform-mate of the Volkswagen ID.4. —Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 22 Dec. 2022 To add to your home’s high-tech features and monitor your home’s exterior with ease, consider purchasing a wireless doorbell system. —Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2022 The exterior of a shoe store on Melrose Avenue, in the Fairfax District, now features a nearly 30-foot-tall mural of Amini, clad in black and eyes cast downward with the colors of the Iranian flag flowing through her hair. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2022 The handsome residence, completed in 2022, has the classic modern farmhouse exterior of white siding — horizontal on the main level and vertical board and batten on the second story — with black window frames and roof. —oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin, comparative of exter, exterus being on the outside, foreign, from ex
First Known Use
Adjective
1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing exterior
Kids Definition
exterior
1 of 2 adjective ex·te·ri·or ek-ˈstir-ē-ər
1
: situated on the outside
2
: external entry 1 sense 1
3
: suitable for use on outside surfaces
exterior paint
exteriorly adverb
exterior
2 of 2 noun1
: an exterior part or surface : outside
2
: visible manner or appearance
a calm exterior
Medical Definition
exterior
adjective ex·te·ri·or ek-ˈstir-ē-ər
: being on an outside surface : situated on the outside
exteriorly adverb
exterior 1 of 2
adjective
as in outer
situated on the outside or farther out the house's exterior walls badly need to be painted Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- outer
- outward
- external
- outside
- surface
- outlying
- outermost
- superficial
- outmost
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- interior
- internal
- inner
- inside
- inward
- innermost
- middle
- mid
- inmost
- midmost
exterior
2 of 2noun
as in surface
an outer part or layer the exterior of the tooth consists of very hard enamel Synonyms & Similar Words
- surface
- facade
- outside
- front
- shell
- skin
- top
- face
- veneer
- façade
- facing
- appearance
- covering
- cover
- mask
- semblance
- show
- disguise
- guise
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- interior
- inside