facade
front of a building; outward appearance
Root
- facies: face, surface, or outward appearance
Other words with the facies root
- efface: to erase or make oneself inconspicuous
- face: front surface or expression
- facial: relating to the face
- superficial: on the surface; shallow
Facies gives face. A facade is the face a building, person, or institution shows outward.
The cheerful facade hid a failing business and a terrified staff.
Facade is powerful because faces can deceive. The front may be beautiful, calm, or confident while the inside tells another story.