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

"There is undoubtedly widespread fear among many Gazans of potential internal fighting, given the many conditions that could fuel it," he said.

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A nurse at the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health recently started an internal chat group for employees to discuss ways to manage menopause-related symptoms and within the first week had 300 members.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That followed a statement by Hamas on Friday announcing plans to deploy internal security forces and reassert its authority.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 2024, the army announced it was launching an internal review into the conduct of British soldiers in Kenya, including in Nanyuki.

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A temporary restraining order would prevent agencies "determining how best to organize their workforces", they argued, noting that the government has traditionally been granted the widest latitude in the "dispatch of its own internal affairs".

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Related Words

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