facade
fuh-SAHD
/fəˈsɑːd/
The principal front or face of a building; an outward appearance maintained to conceal a less pleasant reality.
Architecturally means the decorative exterior front; figuratively implies deception or deliberate image management.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from French during the 17th century when French architectural theory dominated Europe, facade stems from Latin 'facies' (face). Just as human faces can express or hide true emotions, building facades were recognized as crafted expressions intended for public viewing.
Word relationships
- frontage: Purely spatial/geographical referring to property facing a street, lacking metaphorical depth.
- veneer: Refers to a thin superficial layer, often material or emotional, while facade refers to an entire front appearance.
- interior: Refers to the inner structure rather than outer surface.
Commonly confused with
- elevation: An elevation is a technical architectural drawing of any side of a building, whereas a facade usually refers to the main aesthetic front face.
Collocations
- glass facade
- brick facade
- maintain a facade
- behind the facade
Idioms & expressions
- put up a facade
Example sentences
- "The marble facade of the cathedral glittered dramatically under the midday sun." Architecture History
- "Behind his polite facade lay an intense determination to win the negotiations." Figurative Usage
Memory hook
The facade is the 'face' of the house facing the street. Facade = Face of a building.
When not to use
Do not confuse with structural walls that are not public-facing fronts.
Fun facts
- In Western movies, town sets often consisted entirely of wooden facades supported by scaffolding with no actual buildings behind them.
Related words
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