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

Example Sentences

The agency has faced criticism locally for years for lack of proper oversight and the county is in the process of transitioning programs to an internal department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Engines with a 50-50 split between internal combustion and hybrid power - complete with 'overtaking' and 'boost' modes - have led to accusations of artificiality.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Forty-eight-year-old retailer Eszter Somfai had her home address shared online, after an internal party database with some 200,000 supporters' personal details was leaked last November.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration would exclude generic drugs from the pharmaceutical tariffs after months of internal debate—a detail confirmed by the announcement on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

In a November issue of Life, I found, to my great interest, drawings of the internal mechanisms of a variety of different kinds of rockets.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

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