Exterior

How to spell exterior

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce exterior

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does exterior mean?

1. adjectiveSituated on or relating to the outside of something.
2. nounThe outer surface or outward appearance of something.

Exterior in a sentence

• adjective

  The exterior walls of the house needed repainting before winter.

• noun

  The hotel's exterior looked tired, but the rooms inside were modern.

• adjective

  A damaged exterior panel was replaced during the car service.

• noun

  A fresh coat of paint transformed the cottage exterior.

Where does exterior come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes directly from the Latin exterior, which is the comparative form meaning 'more outward' or 'outer'. It was built on exterus, an adjective meaning 'on the outside' or 'external', which in turn traces back to the preposition ex, meaning 'out of' or 'from'. English adopted it in the middle of the 1500s, keeping the Latin spelling almost untouched, which is why the ending is the slightly unusual -ior rather than the more familiar -er. Its natural partner is interior, formed in exactly the same way from interus 'inner', and remembering that pair together helps fix both spellings. The same ex root appears in everyday relatives such as exit and external, all carrying the sense of moving or facing outward.

How the word is built

• exter- (from Latin exterus: outer, outward)
• -ior (comparative suffix: more outer)