Illustration of facade
- facade 1
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
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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”).
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.
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
The symbols showed images of fringed textiles and vessels being carried in nets, many of which are moving toward building facades.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
The concept of the new boutique is defined by a bright facade bathed in backlight, with crisscrossing lines creating green triangular shapes that echo the brand’s classic logo.
—Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Van Cleef & Arpels, for instance, infuses its 118 years of jewelry expertise into wildly complicated automaton wristwatches and clocks behind intricate facades.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Its sleek, sedate facade belies some wonderful surprises, including a restaurant with furniture by Charlotte Perriand and a bijou sculpture garden, which includes a monumental limestone piece by land artist Richard Long.
—Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for facade 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
The concept of the new boutique is defined by a bright facade bathed in backlight, with crisscrossing lines creating green triangular shapes that echo the brand’s classic logo.
—Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Van Cleef & Arpels, for instance, infuses its 118 years of jewelry expertise into wildly complicated automaton wristwatches and clocks behind intricate facades.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Its sleek, sedate facade belies some wonderful surprises, including a restaurant with furniture by Charlotte Perriand and a bijou sculpture garden, which includes a monumental limestone piece by land artist Richard Long.
—Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for facade
Dictionary Entries Near facade
Cite this Entry
“Facade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facade. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
facade
noun
fa·cade
variants
also façade
1
: the face or front of a building
2
: a false or misleading appearance
a facade of wealth
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