exterior

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Related to exterior: exterior ballistics, exterior plywood

exterior

external, outer; originating or acting from the outside; being on the outer side: the exterior surface; suitable for outdoor use: exterior paint; outward form or appearance: She has a calm exterior, but inside she is frightened.

Not to be confused with:

anterior – located in front; situated before or at the front of; fore (opposed to posterior); going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier: events anterior to the outbreak of war

interior – located inside: The interior of the building is well lit.; inner: She looks fragile but she has an inner strength.

ex·te·ri·or

(ĭk-stîr′ē-ər)

adj.

1. Outer; external: the exterior door.

2. Originating or acting from the outside: exterior influences on the negotiations.

3. Suitable for use outside: an exterior paint.

1. A part or a surface that is outside: the exterior of the house.

2. An external or outward appearance: a friendly exterior.

a. A representation of the outdoors for use on a soundstage or in a theater: The artist painted exteriors for the film.

b. A scene for a movie or television program that is filmed outdoors: The exteriors for the film were shot in the mountains of New Zealand.

[Latin, comparative of exter, outward; see eghs in Indo-European roots.]

ex·te′ri·or·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

exterior

(ɪkˈstɪərɪə)

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

2. the observable outward behaviour or appearance of a person

3. (Film) a film or scene shot outside a studio

adj

4. of, situated on, or suitable for the outside: exterior cleaning.

5. coming or acting from without; external: exterior complications.

6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) of or involving foreign nations

[C16: from Latin, comparative of exterus on the outside, from ex out of]

exˈteriorly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ex•te•ri•or

(ɪkˈstɪər i ər)

adj.

1. being on the outer side: exterior surfaces.

2. suitable for outdoor use: exterior paint.

3. situated or being outside: exterior territories of a country.

4. the outer surface or part; outside.

5. outward form or appearance: a placid exterior.

[1525–35; < Latin, comp. of exter or exterus on the outside, outward. See ex-¹]

ex•te`ri•or′i•ty (-ˈɔr ɪ ti, -ˈɒr-) n.

ex•te′ri•or•ly, adv.

exterior

– external

1. 'exterior'

The exterior of a building or vehicle is the outside part of it.

The church is famous for its exterior.

You're supposed to keep your car exterior in good condition.

Exterior is often used as an adjective in front of a noun to refer to an outside part of a building or vehicle.

The aerial can be fixed to an exterior wall.

...the exterior bodywork.

2. 'external'

External can be used in front of a noun to refer to an outside part of a building.

...external walls.

...external doorways.

External can be used in front of other nouns to refer to things which happen, come from, or exist outside a place or area of activity.

Kindly observers may suggest that Novar is being hit by external factors outside its control.

They did it in response to external pressures.

You cannot use exterior in this way.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	exterior - the region that is outside of something outside open air, outdoors, out-of-doors, open - where the air is unconfined; "he wanted to get outdoors a little"; "the concert was held in the open air"; "camping in the open" region, part - the extended spatial location of something; "the farming regions of France"; "religions in all parts of the world"; "regions of outer space"
	2.	exterior - the outer side or surface of something outside surface - the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object; "they skimmed over the surface of the water"; "a brush small enough to clean every dental surface"; "the sun has no distinct surface"
Adj.	1.	exterior - situated in or suitable for the outdoors or outside of a building; "an exterior scene"; "exterior grade plywood"; "exterior paints" outdoor, out-of-door, outside - located, suited for, or taking place in the open air; "outdoor clothes"; "badminton and other outdoor games"; "a beautiful outdoor setting for the wedding" interior - situated within or suitable for inside a building; "an interior scene"; "interior decoration"; "an interior bathroom without windows"

exterior

noun

1. outside, face, surface, covering, finish, skin, appearance, aspect, shell, coating, façade, outside surface The exterior of the building was a masterpiece of architecture.

adjective

1. outer, outside, external, surface, outward, superficial, outermost The exterior walls were made of pre-formed concrete.
outer inside, interior, inner

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

الخارِجخارِجيخَارِجيّ

vnější

ydreudvendigyder-yderside

Ansehen Außen-...Äußere äußerer

εξωτερικός

exterior

ulkonainen

extérieur

vanjski

yfirborî, ytra borîytri

esterno esteriore

外側の

외부의

išorinis

ārējsārieneārpuseārpuses-

buiten-

utvendig utvortes ytter-eksteriør

zewnętrzny

externo

наружность наружный экстерьер

zovňajšok

zunanjizunanjost

yttre

ภายนอก

dışdış görünüşdışarıdan

ở ngoài

外部的外部

exterior

[eksˈtɪərɪəʳ]

A. ADJ [wall, door, surface] → exterior

B. N → exterior m; (= outward appearance) → apariencia f, aspecto m exterior
on the exterior (lit, fig) → por fuera

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

exterior

[ɪkˈstɪəriə^r]

adj → extérieur(e)

[building] → extérieur m

[person] → dehors mpl

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

exterior

(of house, box etc) → Außenseite f, → Äußere(s) nt; (of person) → Äußere(s) nt; on the exterior → außen

(Film) → Außenaufnahme f

adj → Außen-; surface also → äußere(r, s); exterior wall → Außenwand f; exterior lighting → Außenbeleuchtung f; exterior shots → Außenaufnahmen pl; exterior view → Außenansicht f; exterior decoration/paintwork → Außenanstrich m; exterior paint → Farbe f → für Außenanstriche

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

exterior

[ɪksˈtɪərɪəʳ]

1. adj → esterno/a, esteriore

2. n (of house, box) → esterno; (of person) → aspetto esteriore
on the exterior → all'esterno (fig) → in apparenza

exterior

(ikˈstiəriə) adjective

on or from the outside; outer. an exterior wall of a house.

noun

the outside (of something or someone). On the exterior she was charming, but she was known to have a violent temper.

exterior

→ خَارِجيّ vnější ydre äußerer εξωτερικός exterior ulkonainen extérieur vanjski esterno 外側の 외부의 buiten- utvendig zewnętrzny externo наружный yttre ภายนอก dış ở ngoài 外部的

ex·te·ri·or

a. exterior, externo-a; visible.

exterior

adj & n exterior m

References in classic literature ?

A fine exterior is what people look at now-a-days."

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Happily these interior problems are not infrequently resolved by quite exterior forces.

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Here I may make a remark,--I am not accustomed to attach an exaggerated importance to exterior signs left in the track of a crime.

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Verily ye deceive, ye "contemplative ones!" Even Zarathustra was once the dupe of your godlike exterior; he did not divine the serpent's coil with which it was stuffed.

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With a brief sketch, therefore, of the circumstances amid which the foundation of the house was laid, and a rapid glimpse at its quaint exterior, as it grew black in the prevalent east wind,--pointing, too, here and there, at some spot of more verdant mossiness on its roof and walls,--we shall commence the real action of our tale at an epoch not very remote from the present day.

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Besides all the other phenomena which the exterior of the Sperm Whale presents, he not seldom displays the back, and more especially his flanks, effaced in great part of the regular linear appearance, by reason of numerous rude scratches, altogether of an irregular, random aspect.

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It is hard that a man's exterior should tally so little sometimes with his soul.

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He was of the iron of which martyrs are made, but in the heart of the matrix had lurked a nobler metal, fusible at a milder heat, yet never coloring nor softening the hard exterior. By both heredity and environment something of the man's inflexible character had touched the other members of the family; the Lassiter home, though not devoid of domestic affection, was a veritable citadel of duty, and duty--ah, duty is as cruel as death!

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The center of this wooden disc was hollowed out to a diameter equal to the exterior diameter of the Columbiad.

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George Morton was far from possessing the elegant exterior of the uneasy observer of this scene, yet were the eyes of the lovely young woman who had caught his attention, fixed in evident delight on his person, until it was hid from view in the carriage; when, drawing a long breath, as if relieved from great uneasiness, she said, in a low voice--

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"Could any one fathom the cruelty beneath that fair exterior?" murmured Robert.

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All seemed pleasure, joy, and roguish gaiety, only one of the numerous guests had a gloomy exterior; but exactly the black armor in which he walked about excited general attention, and his tall figure, as well as the noble propriety of his movements, attracted especially the regards of the ladies.