facade
facade Lexical Profile
facade Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A deceptive outward appearance or front maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.
"Despite his confident facade, he was secretly terrified about the upcoming corporate presentation."
The principal front or face of a building, typically an imposing or decorative one that faces a street or open space.
"The museum's impressive marble facade was designed to convey a sense of classical antiquity and cultural permanence."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because it is a French loanword, 'facade' is frequently spelled with a cedilla (façade) to preserve the soft 's' pronunciation of the 'c' before an 'a', which is a major pronunciation trap in English.
• Rhymes for facade
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the mid-17th century from French 'façade', from Italian 'facciata', which derives from 'faccia' (face), ultimately tracing back to the Latin 'facies' (appearance, form, face).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.