noun
facade
fuh-SAHD
noun
1
The front exterior wall of a building.
"The cathedral's stone facade dates back to the 13th century."
2
A false or misleading outward appearance that hides someone's true feelings or a situation's true nature.
"Behind the confident facade, he was terrified of failing."
"The company kept up a facade of stability while quietly going bankrupt."
How to Use Facade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the front of a building, or a fake outward show that hides what's really going on.
Common mistake
Silent "c" before the cedilla mark makes it sound like "fuh-SAHD," not "fak-AYD."
Common pairings
a crumbling facade
maintain a facade
facade of confidence
Word Forms
facaded past tense, facades plural, facades singular
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The cathedral's stone _____ dates back to the 13th century.
Etymology
From French façade, from Italian facciata, related to faccia, "face" — ultimately from Latin facies.