interior
interior — noun
1. the inner space or area of an object, building, room, or vehicle — the parts tha
the inner space or area of an object, building, room, or vehicle — the parts that are enclosed by its outer surface or walls.
The interior of the old church was decorated with beautiful paintings and gold leaf.
the interior of [building] for inner space
Karim carefully cleaned the car's interior before selling it to his neighbour.
possessive: car's interior / [something]'s interior
The designer added soft grey curtains to make the room's interior feel warmer and cozier.
William opened the box and admired the velvet interior that held the antique watch.
- inside
more common in everyday speech; less formal than interior
- inner part
emphasises the position relative to the outer surface
- heart
figurative use; suggests the most central or important inner area
文法句型
the interior of [something]
用法筆記
Often contrasted with exterior (the outside). In design and architecture, interior commonly refers to the inside of a building or room.
常見錯誤
2. the inland part of a large land area that lies far from its surrounding coasts o
the inland part of a large land area that lies far from its surrounding coasts or boundaries.
The Amazon's interior is home to tribes with little contact with the outside world.
the interior of [geographic region] for inland area
Tanvi and her family drove deep into the interior of Australia during their summer holiday.
deep into the interior for emphasising remoteness
Few roads lead into the interior, so most tourists stay near the coast.
Nkechi studied the plants that grow naturally in the interior of central Africa.
- inland
very similar; inland is more common as an adjective or adverb
- heartland
emphasises cultural or economic importance of the central region
- hinterland
slightly more formal; can mean the rural area behind a coast or river
文法句型
the interior of [place]
deep into the interior
in the interior
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (INSIDE PART): this sense describes a geographic region, not the inside of an object or building. It is most common when discussing large landmasses.
常見錯誤
3. the government ministry responsible for a country's own domestic matters, such a
the government ministry responsible for a country's own domestic matters, such as policing, elections, and public safety.
France's Ministry of the Interior oversees the national police and local government services.
Ministry of the Interior — government department name
Caleb applied for a policy role at the Department of the Interior after law school.
The Spanish Interior announced new funds to improve police training across the country.
Mira's father worked for the Interior for three decades before retiring last spring.
- home affairs
used in the UK and some Commonwealth countries instead of Interior
- domestic affairs
a more general term for internal matters of a country
- internal affairs
focuses on matters within the country's borders
- foreign affairs
matters involving other countries, handled by a different ministry
- external affairs
another term for foreign policy and international relations
文法句型
the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
Department of the Interior
用法筆記
Used mainly in countries whose government structure includes a specific ministry with this name (e.g. France, Italy, the United States). In the US, the Department of the Interior manages natural resources and public lands, not policing.
常見錯誤
interior — adjective
1. located, happening, or used inside something, especially a building or room.
located, happening, or used inside something, especially a building or room.
The new owners painted the interior walls a soft cream colour.
interior walls — collocation for inner surfaces of a building
Hyun has worked as an interior designer in Tokyo for more than ten years now.
interior designer — common job title
An interior courtyard allows natural sunlight to reach all the rooms in the building.
An interior staircase links the ground floor to the upper bedrooms.
文法句型
interior [noun]
用法筆記
This adjective always comes before the noun it describes. It combines with many nouns to form common compound terms such as interior design, interior decoration, and interior wall.
常見錯誤
2. concerning the government ministry that handles a nation's own internal matters
concerning the government ministry that handles a nation's own internal matters as opposed to foreign relations.
The interior minister announced new policies on national security and border control yesterday.
interior minister — government role title
Lien read a report on the country's interior affairs, including education and healthcare budgets.
The interior committee in parliament voted to fund more local fire departments.
Élise attended the press conference where the interior spokesperson explained the new rules.
文法句型
interior [noun]
用法筆記
Used in formal or political contexts. In countries that use this term (France, Spain, Italy), the interior ministry is one of the most powerful government departments. In the UK, the equivalent is the Home Office.