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

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

Managing civil disturbances has been an issue for Homeland Security since at least 2021, according to an audit conducted by the agency’s internal watchdog review of a 2020 deployment to Portland, Ore.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

“I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and I am sorry,” she wrote in an internal email.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

When they see it they feel good, and they walk away feeling like their internal vibration has been lifted.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Licensed technologies developed in the NIH’s internal research program, rather than through external grants, generated more than $133 billion in U.S. market sales between 1980 and 2021.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Mulch’s internal compass steered him true, and within minutes he could feel the gentle vibrations of the rabbits loping along their tunnels.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

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