internal

American  

[in-tur-nl] / ɪnˈtɜr nl /

adjective

1. situated or existing in the interior of something; interior.

   Antonyms:

   external

2. of, relating to, or noting the inside or inner part.

   Antonyms:

   external

3. Pharmacology. oral.

4. existing, occurring, or found within the limits or scope of something; intrinsic.

   a theory having internal logic.

5. of or relating to the domestic affairs of a country.

   the internal politics of a nation.

6. existing solely within the individual mind.

   internal malaise.

7. coming from, produced, or motivated by the psyche or inner recesses of the mind; subjective.

   an internal response.

8. Anatomy, Zoology. inner; not superficial; away from the surface or next to the axis of the body or of a part.

   the internal carotid artery.

9. present or occurring within an organism or one of its parts.

   an internal organ.

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noun

1. Usually internals. entrails; innards.

2. an inner or intrinsic attribute.

internal British  

/ ɪnˈtɜːnəl /

adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the inside; inner

2. coming or acting from within; interior

3. involving the spiritual or mental life; subjective

4. of or involving a nation's domestic as opposed to foreign affairs

5. education denoting assessment by examiners who are employed at the candidate's place of study

6. situated within, affecting, or relating to the inside of the body

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noun

1. a medical examination of the vagina, uterus, or rectum

Other Word Forms

• internality
  noun
• internalness
  noun
• quasi-internal
  adjective
• semi-internal
  adjective
• subinternal
  adjective
• internally
  adverb
• quasi-internally
  adverb
• semi-internally
  adverb
• subinternally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of internal

First recorded in 1500–10; from Medieval Latin internālis, equivalent to Latin intern(us) intern ³ + ālis -al ¹

Explanation

The adjective internal describes something on the inside. If you're tempted by a second piece of cake, you may have an internal battle with yourself over whether you should eat the cake or not. Internal can also describe something that takes place within a country or a group. You pay your taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, and politicians argue about how to spend your tax dollars when they discuss the country's internal affairs. You may have to write internal reports for your boss––reports that aren't supposed to be seen outside the company.

Example Sentences

The simulations also revealed that water droplets confined between these materials experience extremely high internal pressures.

From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026

But was it an egregious, personal error, akin to Totenberg stealing into Alito’s hotel room and absconding with an internal organ, as it has been widely treated?

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

Warsh, who was appointed chair by President Trump and took over in May, has already launched internal reviews of the Fed’s data, and especially its inflation data.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

One marker, who spoke to the BBC via Your Voice in June and asked not to be named, said internal deadlines had consistently been pushed back.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

All of its internal life exists within three paper-thin layers of tissue—the phloem, xylem, and cambium—just beneath the bark, which together form a moist sleeve around the dead heartwood.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• constitutional
• domestic
• in-house
• intramural
• national
• private
• subjective