Facade

/fəˈsɑːd/ · noun

Meaning

(architecture) The face of a building, especially the front view or elevation..

Definitions by Sense

1. (architecture) The face of a building, especially the front view or elevation.
2. (by extension) The face or front (most visible side) of any other thing, such as the prospect of an organ.
3. (figuratively) A deceptive or insincere outward appearance.
4. (programming) An object serving as a simplified interface to a larger body of code, as in the facade pattern.

Example Sentences

In Egypt the façades of their rock-cut tombs were[…]ornamented so simply and unobtrusively as rather to belie than to announce their internal magnificence.

Like so many of the finest churches, [the cathedral of Siena] was furnished with a plain substantial front wall, intended to serve as the backing and support of an ornamental façade.

The house of Ruthven was a small but ultra-modern limestone affair, between Madison and Fifth ;[…]. As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “near-aissance.”

Eight or so gunmen stood shoulder to shoulder in the gray-white trail before the barn, firing into the saloon's burning, bullet-pocked facade.

Facades are widely used for tasks like simplifying complex APIs.

Synonyms for facade

Antonyms for facade

Related Words

Word Forms

• facades
• façade

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions