facade

noun

fa·​cade fə-ˈsäd 

variants or less commonly façade

1

: the front of a building

also : any face of a building given special architectural treatment

a museum's east facade

2

: a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect

tried to preserve the facade of a happy marriage

Illustration of facade

• facade 1

Did you know?

A Brief History of Facade

Facade is thought to have come to English from the Vulgar Latin facia, meaning “face.” Along the way it passed through both Italian, as faccia, and French, as façade. The earliest meaning of the word in English was in reference to the front portion of a building, its “face,” so to speak (and face itself is sometimes used to describe this part of a structure as well). Somewhere along the way facade took on a figurative sense, referring to a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation. This is similar to the figurative use of veneer, which originally had the simple meaning of a thin layer of wood that was used to cover something, and now may also refer to a sort of deceptive behavior that masks one’s actual feelings (as in, “he had a thin veneer of politeness”).

Synonyms

• face
• forehead
• forepart
• front

Examples of facade in a Sentence

"I mean, don't you find yourself being extra careful about what you say and how you say it? As if you have to be this phony, put on a facade, because you don't want to give them the wrong impression?" —Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale, 1992

When I watched him in motion picture roles after the war, I knew there was something of honest substance behind that acting façade. —Andrew A. Rooney, And More by Andy Rooney, (1979) 1982

… but his magic power of concentration was gone. All the façades he built up between himself and his desperate love never entirely hid it. —May Sarton, Shadow of a Man, 1950

the facade of the bank

the windowless façade of the skyscraper

They were trying to preserve the facade of a happy marriage.

I could sense the hostility lurking behind her polite facade.

Recent Examples on the Web

Through archival footage and expert analysis, the documentary sheds light on the murky deals behind the Olympic facade. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

Only when outfielder Teoscar Hernández showered him with sunflower seeds in front of the dugout did Ohtani break the emotionless facade. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French fassade, borrowed from Italian facciata, from faccia "face" (going back to Vulgar Latin *facia) + -ata -ade — more at face entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

facade

noun

fa·​cade

variants also façade

fə-ˈsäd 

1

: the face or front of a building

2

: a false or misleading appearance

a facade of wealth