Interiors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The internal areas of a building meant for living or working, incorporating design elements that enhance both function and aesthetic appeal
2. The enclosed spaces within an architectural framework that provide utility and comfort through thoughtful design and decoration
3. The spaces inside buildings that are organized and decorated for use or habitation

Etymology: "Interiors" is simply the plural of "interior," so its story is really the story of the singular. That word comes from Latin "interior," meaning "inner" or "more inward," a comparative formed from "inter," "between" or "among." The Latin sense was purely spatial and comparative: something that lay further inside than something else. In English, the plural took on a specialised meaning in the design world. Rather than describing any inner part of a thing, "interiors" now refers to the rooms of a building as shaped and furnished for living or working in, so a designer might produce drawings of "interiors" while an architect produces the structure itself. The shift moved the word from a relative position in space to the arrangement and decoration of enclosed rooms.

Synonyms: insides, innards, contents

Antonyms: exteriors, outsides