Exterior Meaning
/ɪkˈstɪəɹɪə/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjRelating to the outside parts or surface of something.
adjBeing from outside a country; foreign.
Sentence Examples
Despite her hard exterior, she had a certain vulnerability that made her quite endearing.
The technicians carefully checked the exterior of the aircraft.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The painter applied a fresh coat of white paint to the house's ____ walls yesterday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the old house was in need of a new coat of paint and some minor repairs.
Word Origin & History
From Latin exterior.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man / Resemble that it was."
— c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
"Before dissecting a shark to see how it manages to function so effectively, let us first examine its exterior."
— 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 31:
"[I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality."
— 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner's punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry [print version: No room for sentimentality in this tragedy, 13 September 2014, p. S22]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport):
"The structure's exterior is clad in aluminum-oxidized pine, which gives it a reflective quality that complements the galvanized-steel roof."
— 2026 May 26, Julie Belcove, “Farm Fresh”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 93:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The painter applied a fresh coat of white paint to the house's ____ walls yesterday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the old house was in need of a new coat of paint and some minor repairs.