facades

Deceptive outward appearances

Facades is the plural of facade, the front face of a building, especially an ornamental one: The facades along Main Street date to the 1890s.

The figurative sense—an outward appearance concealing something different—extends naturally: Behind their cheerful facades, both families were struggling.

Also spelled façades, retaining the French cedilla.

pretense

charade

Absurd or obvious pretense

veneer · posturing · affectation · sham · artifice · insincerity · hypocrisy · masquerade · subterfuge · bluff

surface

cladding

Outer protective layer

stucco · siding · finish · plaster · render · laminate · sheathing · overlay · glaze · panel

architectural

elevation

Height above reference point

stucco · brickwork · masonry · cornice · balustrade · portico · colonnade · pediment · pilaster · fenestration

concealment

disguise

Identity-concealing alteration

  • veilFabric that obscures
  • coverProtect by overlaying
  • maskFace-worn concealment

camouflage · shroud · concealment · cloak · secrecy · hidden · persona · guise · screen · curtain

streetfront

shopfront

Retail establishment's street-facing exterior

signage · marquee · doorway · window display · porch · veranda · canopy · sidewalk · boulevard · promenade

Categories
Opposites
authenticity

facadesauthenticity

Quality of being genuine

genuineness · substance · reality · truth · sincerity

architectural position

facadesrears

Nurtures young ones

backs · interiors · back walls · backsides · insides

depth/substance

facadesinteriors

Inner parts of spaces

cores · innards · depths · hearts · essences

Phrases
Family

facade

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G