Standard Lemma guide

exterior

adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɪkˈstɪəɹɪə/
  • UK: /ɛkˈstɪəɹɪə/
  • US: /ɪkˈstɪɹiɚ/
  • US: /ɛkˈstɪɹiɚ/
  • rhymes with -ɪəɹiə(ɹ)
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S T IH1 R IY0 ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Relating to the outside parts or surface of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • the exterior part of a sphere

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outer

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Being from outside a country; foreign.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • the exterior relations of a state or kingdom

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Outdoor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The outside part, parts or surface of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The sticker was attached to the exterior of the package

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: inside, interior

5

noun

Meaning 5

Foreign lands.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She is our new minister of the exterior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: interior

6

noun

Meaning 6

A recording taken outside to be used in film-making, often including establishing shots.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We'll get the last of the exteriors done tomorrow.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

situated in or suitable for the outdoors or outside of a building

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an exterior scene
  • exterior grade plywood
  • exterior paints

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: interior

8

noun

Meaning 8

the outer side or surface of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outside

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: surface

9

noun

Meaning 9

the region that is outside of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outside

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: region, part

Narrower terms: outdoors, out-of-doors, open air, open

History

Etymology

From Latin exterior.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: во́нкавы (vónkavy) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Belarusian: знадво́рны (znadvórny) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Bulgarian: въ́ншен (vǎ́nšen) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Catalan: exterior — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Czech: vnější — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • French: extérieur — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Galician: exterior — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Georgian: გარე მხარე (gare mxare) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Georgian: გარეთა მხარე (gareta mxare) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Georgian: ექსტერიერი (eksṭerieri) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Georgian: გარეგანი მხარე (garegani mxare) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • German: Außen- — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Hungarian: külső — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Irish: seachtrach — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Macedonian: надворешен (nadvorešen) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Māori: mōwaho — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Persian: بیرون (birun) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Persian: خارج (xârej) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Polish: zewnętrzny — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Portuguese: exterior — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Russian: вне́шний (vnéšnij) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Russian: нару́жный (narúžnyj) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: ва̀њскӣ — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: спо̀љашњӣ — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: vànjskī — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: spòljašnjī — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Slovak: vonkajší — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Slovene: zunanji — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Spanish: exterior — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Swedish: yttre — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Ottoman Turkish: ظاهر (zahir) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Ukrainian: зо́внішній (zóvnišnij) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Ukrainian: надві́рній (nadvírnij) — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Welsh: allanol — relating to the outside parts or surface
  • Bulgarian: въ́ншност (vǎ́nšnost) — The outside part
  • Galician: exterior — The outside part
  • German: Äußeres — The outside part
  • German: Außenseite — The outside part
  • Greek: εξωτερικό (exoterikó) — The outside part
  • Hungarian: külső — The outside part
  • Polish: zewnętrzna — The outside part
  • Portuguese: exterior — The outside part
  • Russian: экстерье́р (ekstɛrʹjér) — The outside part
  • Russian: нару́жная часть (narúžnaja častʹ) — The outside part
  • Russian: вне́шняя часть (vnéšnjaja častʹ) — The outside part
  • Russian: внешность (vnešnostʹ) — The outside part
  • Russian: наружность (naružnostʹ) — The outside part
  • Sanskrit: प्रतीक (pratīka) — The outside part
  • Spanish: exterior — The outside part
  • Swedish: utsida — The outside part
  • Swedish: exteriör — The outside part
  • Ottoman Turkish: طیشاری (dışarı) — The outside part
  • Turkish: hariciye — Foreign lands
  • Ottoman Turkish: طیشاری (dışarı) — Foreign lands
Real reading context

exterior in complete knowledge articles