Exteriorities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The external aspects or features of a subject or object
2. characteristics that are visible and not hidden from view
3. elements that signify or illustrate the outward appearance of something

Etymology: "Exteriorities" is the plural of "exteriority," so it names several outward features at once. The root is Latin "exterior," a comparative meaning "more outward," formed from "exterus" ("outward"), which itself comes from "ex" ("out of"). English's "exterior" therefore carries a built-in comparison, as if it meant "more outside than something else." The ending "-ity" comes from Latin "-itas" through French "-ité," and turns an adjective into a noun for the quality it describes. Adding the plural makes the quality countable, so "exteriorities" refers to particular visible traits rather than outwardness in general.

Synonyms: outwardness, surface, appearance

Antonyms: interior, inside, core