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definitions

internal

[in-tur-nl]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR internal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

Usually internals. entrails; innards.
an inner or intrinsic attribute.

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RELATED WORDS

domestic, constitutional, private, subjective, national, in-house, intramural, civic, enclosed, gut, home, indigenous, inherent, innate, inner, inside, interior, intestine, intimate, intrinsic

Nearby words

  1. intermural,
  2. intermuscular gluteal bursa,
  3. intermuscular septum,
  4. intermutule,
  5. intern,
  6. internal acoustic pore,
  7. internal adhesive pericarditis,
  8. internal audit,
  9. internal auditory artery,
  10. internal auditory foramen

Origin of internal

1500–10; < Medieval Latin internālis, equivalent to Latin intern(us) intern3 + ālis -al1
Related forms
Can be confusedextraneous external extrinsic internal intrinsic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for internal

British Dictionary definitions for internal

internal

adjective

of, situated on, or suitable for the inside; inner
coming or acting from within; interior
involving the spiritual or mental life; subjective
of or involving a nation's domestic as opposed to foreign affairs
education denoting assessment by examiners who are employed at the candidate's place of study
situated within, affecting, or relating to the inside of the body

noun

a medical examination of the vagina, uterus, or rectum
Derived Formsinternality or internalness, nouninternally, adverb

Word Origin for internal

C16: from Medieval Latin internālis, from Late Latin internus inward
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for internal

internal

adj.

early 15c., from Medieval Latin internalis, from Latin internus "within, inward, internal," figuratively "domestic," expanded from pre-Latin *interos, *interus "on the inside, inward," from PIE *en-ter- (cf. Old Church Slavonic anter, Sanskrit antar "within, between," Old High German unter "between," and the "down" sense of Old English under); suffixed (comparative) form of *en "in" (see in). Meaning "of or pertaining to the domestic affairs of a country (e.g. internal revenue) is from 1795. Internal combustion first recorded 1884. Related: Internally.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for internal

internal

[ĭn-tûr′nəl]

adj.

Located, acting, or effective within the body.
Of, relating to, or located within the limits or surface; inner.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.