internal
Americanadjective
-
situated or existing in the interior of something; interior.
- Antonyms:
- external
-
of, relating to, or noting the inside or inner part.
- Antonyms:
- external
-
Pharmacology. oral.
-
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.
noun
-
Usually internals. entrails; innards.
-
an inner or intrinsic attribute.
adjective
-
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
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing internal
List 9
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Narrative Writing, List 3
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Lesson 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fund was created as part of a settlement resolving a $10-billion lawsuit Trump personally brought against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Internal testing requirements and meeting technological compliance standards can take months, along with various internal review processes.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
As far as the Internal Revenue Service is concerned, what matters is the sale price, the difference between the sale price and your stepped‑up basis, as discussed above, along with any eligible selling expenses.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
At the end of the trust’s term, any appreciation that is above a hurdle rate set by the Internal Revenue Service goes to heirs free of gift and estate taxes.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
As with the Internal Clock Game, Chase was not sure how his father did this.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
