interior

adjective in·te·ri·or \ in-ˈtir-ē-ər \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of interior

1 : lying, occurring, or functioning within the limiting boundaries : inner

an interior point of a triangle

2 : belonging to mental or spiritual life

a simple interior piety

3 : belonging to the inner constitution or concealed nature of something

interior meaning of a poem

4 : lying away or remote from the border or shore

—

interiorly

play \in-ˈtir-ē-ər-lē\ adverb

See interior defined for English-language learners

See interior defined for kids

Examples of interior in a Sentence

a large car with lots of interior room
the novel's characters have plenty of adventures, but their interior lives are never explored

Recent Examples of interior from the Web

While Baynes is a solid interior defender, nobody in the NBA can handle Embiid one-on-one in the post with his physical strength.

— marc narducci, Philly.com, "Celtics 117, Sixers 101: Three quick takes," 30 Apr. 2018
But no other interior defender in this class can match the ability to shoot gaps and snake into the backfield that Hurst showed at Michigan.

— michael middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "NFL draft steals: Cowboys have some of most promising value picks," 30 Apr. 2018
Day 2 could be a prime spot for an interior defender.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "While improved, defensive line remains Saints NFL Draft target," 20 Apr. 2018
The company is producing custom patina cladding throughout the Milwaukee Bucks’ new arena and has another project to revamp the posh interior spaces at the Kentucky Derby’s Churchill Downs.

— steve jagler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Jagler: Scathain founder McWilliam brings art to commerce," 13 Apr. 2018
Choose areas for task or ambient lighting, and identify cabinet interior spaces that will benefit from lighting.

— maria frank, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Integrated lighting," 6 Apr. 2018
All of that despite playing the entire season without two of its best players and then losing its best interior defender and stretch-four to injury during the final month.

— tom green, AL.com, "Bruce Pearl on Tony Barbee's tweet trolling Auburn: 'I'm LMAO, baby'," 20 Mar. 2018
These floors suit the grandeur and sweep of the interior spaces that are heightened by nine-foot ceilings upstairs and down, Griffin says.

— joan walden, courant.com, "59 Lord Davis Lane, Avon," 8 Mar. 2018
Rick Carlisle has his reasons for giving up on Nerlens Noel, but teams in need of interior defenders, such as the Cavaliers, Wizards, or Raptors might find use for an underachieving post.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "Mavericks don’t need to repeat mistakes of the past," 6 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interior.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of interior

Middle French & Latin; Middle French interiore, from Latin, comparative of Old Latin *interus inward, on the inside; akin to Latin inter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

interior Synonyms

interior

noun

Definition of interior

1 : the inner or spiritual nature : character

2 : the interior part (as of a country or island)

3 : the internal or inner part of a thing : inside

4 : the internal affairs of a state or nation

5 : a representation (as in a play or movie) of the interior of a building

See interior defined for English-language learners

Examples of interior in a Sentence

a black car with gray leather interior
the interior of the house
They traveled deep into the interior of Australia.

Recent Examples of interior from the Web

The highlights of the Kittiwake’s interior is the sailors’ head, with rows of sinks and cracked mirrors.

— erik heinrich, BostonGlobe.com, "Kittiwake wreck dive and Stingray City are unforgettable adventures – even if you do get bit," 16 May 2018
The vibe: The exterior is clad in aluminum and the interior is separated into the bar area on the right and the main dining room on the left with a full sushi bar along the back wall.

— courtney dabney, star-telegram, "Fort Worth’s first Zenna knows its Thai and Japanese niche | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 May 2018
The Aleka was shaped by legendary board designer Joe Bark and built with Surftech’s combination of interior foam and exterior fiberglass and bamboo layers.

— Outside Online, "The Best Stand-Up Paddleboards of 2018," 15 May 2018
Killing Eve is a drama with witty characters and Fleabag is a comedy that reveals itself to have characters with a darker interior.

— benjamin svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, "Phoebe Waller-Bridge Is Having Her Moment With 'Killing Eve' and 'Solo’," 15 May 2018
The open-plan interiors include living and dining rooms and a center-island kitchen.

— lauren beale, latimes.com, "New buyer can party on at Steelo Brim’s Toluca Lake digs," 14 May 2018
Eclectic Home Staging selected the interior finishes and fixtures.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "Step inside Portland's famous modern homes (photos)," 14 May 2018
The resulting ash cloud, seen by a pilot, eventually reached 35,000 feet above sea level and extended 400 miles northeast into Alaska's interior.

— josh hafner, USA TODAY, "Before Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, these active US volcanoes erupted in recent years," 14 May 2018
On May 14, 1804 the ‘Corps of Discovery’ – featuring approximately 45 men (although only an approximate 33 men would make the full journey) – left St. Louis for the American interior.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Fox News Power Rankings: A more competitive map," 14 May 2018

First Known Use of interior

1596

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

interior Synonyms

Synonyms

innards, inside, within;

Antonyms

exterior, outside;

Near Antonyms

border, boundary, brim, brink, edge, end, extremity, fringe, limit, lip, margin, perimeter, periphery, rim;

surface;

Related Words

belly, bowels, guts;

stuffing;

recesses;

center, core, heart;

INTERIOR Defined for English Language Learners

interior

adjective

Definition of interior for English Language Learners

: located on the inside of something
: suited for use in the inside or on inside surfaces
: occurring in the mind

interior

noun

Definition of interior for English Language Learners

: an inner part, area, or surface
: the part of a country that is far from the coast
: the events and activities of a country that involve the country itself rather than foreign countries

INTERIOR Defined for Kids

interior

adjective in·te·ri·or \ in-ˈtir-ē-ər \

Definition of interior for Students

1 : being or occurring inside something : inner

interior walls

2 : far from the border or shore : inland

interior

noun

Definition of interior for Students

1 : the inner part of something

the box's interior

2 : the inland part

the island's interior

Medical Dictionary

interior

adjective in·te·ri·or \ in-ˈtir-ē-ər \

medical Definition of interior

: lying, occurring, or functioning within limiting boundaries

interior

noun

medical Definition of interior

: the internal or inner part or cavity of a thing

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See words that rhyme with interior Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for interior Spanish Central: Translation of interior Nglish: Translation of interior for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of interior for Arabic speakers

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interior

Definition of interior

interiorly

Examples of interior in a Sentence

Recent Examples of interior from the Web

Origin and Etymology of interior

interior Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

interior

Definition of interior

Examples of interior in a Sentence

Recent Examples of interior from the Web

First Known Use of interior

interior Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to INTERIOR

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INTERIOR Defined for English Language Learners

interior

Definition of interior for English Language Learners

interior

Definition of interior for English Language Learners

INTERIOR Defined for Kids

interior

Definition of interior for Students

interior

Definition of interior for Students

Medical Dictionary

interior

medical Definition of interior

interior

medical Definition of interior

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