interior

[ in-teer-ee-er ]

adjective

1. being within; inside of anything; internal; inner; further toward a center:

   the interior rooms of a house.

   Antonyms: exterior

2. of or relating to that which is within; inside:

   an interior view.

3. situated well inland from the coast or border:

   the interior towns of a country.

4. of or relating to the inland.
5. domestic:

   interior trade.

6. private or hidden; inner:

   interior negotiations of the council.

7. pertaining to the mind or soul; mental or spiritual:

   the interior life.

noun

1. the internal or inner part; inside.

   Antonyms: exterior

2. Architecture.
   1. the inside part of a building, considered as a whole from the point of view of artistic design or general effect, convenience, etc.
   2. a single room or apartment so considered.
3. a pictorial representation of the inside of a room.
4. the inland parts of a region, country, etc.:

   the Alaskan interior.

5. the domestic affairs of a country as distinguished from its foreign affairs:

   the Department of the Interior.

6. the inner or inward nature or character of anything.
7. Mathematics. the largest open set contained in a given set, as the points in a circle not including the boundary.

Interior

¹

/ ɪnˈtɪərɪə /

noun

1. the Interior
   in titles the domestic or internal affairs of any of certain countries

   Department of the Interior

interior

²

/ ɪnˈtɪərɪə /

noun

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

   the interior of Africa

2. inner character or nature
3. a film or scene shot inside a building, studio, etc
4. a picture of the inside of a room or building, as in a painting or stage design
5. the inside of a building or room, with respect to design and decoration

adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the inside; inner
2. coming or acting from within; internal
3. of or involving a nation's domestic affairs; internal
4. (esp of one's spiritual or mental life) secret or private; not observable

Derived Forms

• inˈteriorly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·te·ri·or·i·ty [in-teer-ee-, awr, -i-tee, -, or, -], noun
• in·teri·or·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of interior¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin, comparative adjective equivalent to inter- “inward” + -ior comparative suffix; exterior

Word History and Origins

Origin of interior¹

C15: from Latin (adj), comparative of inter within

Synonym Study

See inside.

Example Sentences

But Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said it was out of the question to cancel or relocate the match.

From BBC

Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior.

From Los Angeles Times

Interior linemen Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila, sidelined since suffering injuries in the season opener against the Detroit Lions, are expected to play Monday night against the Miami Dolphins, McVay said Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser thanked the security services who she said had broken up "another suspected terrorist group of militant right-wing extremists".

From BBC

Eight people have died after a concrete canopy at a railway station in northern Serbia collapsed, the country's Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.

From BBC