externalizer

American

[ik-stur-nl-ahy-zer] / ɪkˈstɜr nlˌaɪ zər /

noun

Psychology.

a person who draws a locus of control from the external world, depending on others as a source of values, ideas, and security.

Etymology

Origin of externalizer

externalize + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She is a relentless externalizer, which infuses her plots with a certain energy; but many of her characters do things for reasons they don’t seem to understand themselves, and the reader ends up little wiser.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 31, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023