internal
[in-tur-nl]
- situated or existing in the interior of something; interior.
- of, relating to, or noting the inside or inner part.
- Pharmacology. oral(def 4).
- existing, occurring, or found within the limits or scope of something; intrinsic: a theory having internal logic.
- of or relating to the domestic affairs of a country: the internal politics of a nation.
- existing solely within the individual mind: internal malaise.
- coming from, produced, or motivated by the psyche or inner recesses of the mind; subjective: an internal response.
- 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.
- present or occurring within an organism or one of its parts: an internal organ.
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- Usually internals. entrails; innards.
- an inner or intrinsic attribute.
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Origin of internal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for internal
Contemporary Examples
The result was a system not open to alternatives from the outside and with no internal incentives for innovation.
What is much more important than these numbers is an internal dynamic for which there are no statistics.
In 2012, an internal Canadian government report called for the consolidation of these forces.
Rick has no internal conflict about what is morally right and what is wrong.
The text is peppered with internal rhymes and repeated letter combos.
Historical Examples
The exterior is not remarkable, but the beauty of the internal ornament is most striking.
Yorkshire Painted And DescribedGordon Home
While the mill was at rest he pried into its internal machinery.
Biographical StoriesNathaniel Hawthorne
Norman windows have only one splay on the internal side of the building.
English VillagesP. H. Ditchfield
She believed the death of Jonas was a judgment on them for their internal dissensions.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
It is by "internal evidence," observe, that we decide upon the mind.
internal
- 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
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- a medical examination of the vagina, uterus, or rectum
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Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for 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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
internal
(ĭn-tûr′nəl)- Located, acting, or effective within the body.
- Of, relating to, or located within the limits or surface; inner.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.