internal

[in-tur-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.

noun

1. Usually internals. entrails; innards.

2. an inner or intrinsic attribute.

internal

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of internal¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of internal¹

C16: from Medieval Latin internālis, from Late Latin internus inward

Example Sentences

Because stars are fluid bodies, they can develop internal waves that can sometimes crash and extract energy from a planet's orbit in peculiar ways.

Read more on Science Daily

But it was not a documentary — the actors rehearsed, did the internal work it takes to get comfortable in front of the camera and transformed themselves into their characters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Other verified clips have shown armed men wearing insignia identifying them as members of Hamas's internal security force on patrol and masked fighters firing on unarmed men.

Read more on BBC

The militant group is taking advantage of the pause in the war to shift its focus from military operations against Israel to internal security deployments aimed at re-establishing its hold on the enclave.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The government said the framework was "the only workable solution" that safeguards Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market and EU single market, and ensures no hard border on the island of Ireland.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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