facade

Or fa·çade

[fuh-sahd, fa-]

noun

1. Architecture.

   1. the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one.

   2. any side of a building facing a public way or space and finished accordingly.

2. a superficial appearance or illusion of something.

   They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.

façade

/ fəˈsɑːd, fæ- /

noun

1. the face of a building, esp the main front

2. a front or outer appearance, esp a deceptive one

Word History and Origins

Origin of façade¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from French, from Upper Italian faciada, Italian facciata, equivalent to facci(a) face + -ata -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of façade¹

C17: from French, from Italian facciata , from faccia _face

Example Sentences

Despite this catalog of current and easily predictable future horrors, America keeps up a façade of normality: the manic cheerfulness of TV newscasters, the moronic sitcoms, the contrived crime dramas.

From Salon

Despite this catalog of current and easily predictable future horrors, America resolutely keeps up a façade of normality.

From Salon

The metaphor feels almost too obvious, the iron-and-brick facade of a half-finished, $200-million football palace looming over Howard Jones Field.

From Los Angeles Times

That lyric was saying that everyone has this facade, and I’m seeing life in a different way.

From Los Angeles Times

The restaurant became a symbol of immigrant entrepreneurship embracing a conservative political identity, but behind the facade, legal troubles, internal conflict and immigration enforcement loomed.

From Salon

Related Words

• color 
• exterior 
• front 
• veneer 

When To Use

What does facade mean?

A facade is the front of a building or a side that faces a public area.Facade is used literally to describe a decorative, showy, or onrate piece of architecture that frames the front of a building, as in The architect who designed this building used a showy facade on it to help it stand out from nearby buildings.A facade is also a superficial appearance or an illusion, which can be literal or figurative. If a movie star wears a dark hoodie and sunglasses so they won’t be recognized by the press, they are wearing a literal facade. If that movie star acts completely different from who they actually are or puts on an alternate personality in order to trick or convince people of something, that is a figurative facade.Example: He continually lied to keep up his facade until the whole thing stumbled out of control.