external

American  

[ik-stur-nl] / ɪkˈstɜr nl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the outside or outer part; outer.

   an external surface.

   Synonyms:

   exterior, outermost

   Antonyms:

   internal

2. Medicine/Medical. to be applied to the outside of a body, as a remedy.

   for external use only.

3. situated or being outside something; acting or coming from without.

   external influences.

   Antonyms:

   internal

4. pertaining to the outward or visible appearance or show.

   external acts of worship.

5. pertaining to or concerned with foreign countries.

   external affairs;

   external commerce.

6. Zoology, Anatomy. on the side farthest from the body, the median line, or the center of a radially symmetrical form.

7. Metaphysics. of or relating to the world of things, considered as independent of the perceiving mind.

   external world.

---

noun

1. the outside; outer surface; exterior.

2. something that is external.

3. externals, external features, circumstances, etc.; outward appearance; superficialities.

external British  

/ ɪkˈstɜːnəl /

adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the outside; outer

2. coming or acting from without

   external evidence from an independent source

3. of or involving foreign nations; foreign

4. of, relating to, or designating a medicine that is applied to the outside of the body

5. anatomy situated on or near the outside of the body

   the external ear

6. education denoting assessment by examiners who are not employed at the candidate's place of study

7. (of a student) studying a university subject extramurally

8. philosophy (of objects, etc) taken to exist independently of a perceiving mind

---

noun

1. (often plural) an external circumstance or aspect, esp one that is superficial or inessential

2. a student taking an extramural subject

Other Word Forms

• externally adverb
• nonexternal adjective
• nonexternally adverb
• quasi-external adjective
• quasi-externally adverb
• semiexternal adjective
• semiexternally adverb
• subexternal adjective
• subexternally adverb

Etymology

Origin of external

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; equivalent to extern + -al ¹

Example Sentences

And the thinking goes that with personal wealth on the line, family members should make better decisions than external executives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Super Micro’s internal investigation, led by independent directors, involves external legal and consulting firms.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Spanish publication Marca reported, external that Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, and Getafe will not wear a special jersey because of various logistical reasons but are still involved in the campaign.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Designing its own chips also allows Google to control costs because it doesn’t have to buy expensive compute from external sources, Martin said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Internal affairs will always be stable when external affairs are stable, provided that they are not already disturbed by a conspiracy.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

• extraneous
• foreign