Definition of external

Definition of external from Dictionary.com, the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more.

external


[ ik-

stur

-nl ]


/ ɪkˈstɜr nl /


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See synonyms for:


external


/


externals


/


externally


on Thesaurus.com


adjective


of or relating to the outside or outer part; outer:

an external surface.



Medicine/Medical

.


to be applied to the outside of a body, as a remedy:

for external use only.


situated or being outside something; acting or coming from without:

external influences.


pertaining to the outward or visible appearance or show:

external acts of worship.


pertaining to or concerned with foreign countries:

external affairs; external commerce.



Zoology

,

Anatomy

.


on the side farthest from the body, the median line, or the center of a radially symmetrical form.



Metaphysics

.


of or relating to the world of things, considered as independent of the perceiving mind:

external world.


noun


the outside; outer surface;

exterior

.


something that is external.


externals,


external features, circumstances, etc.; outward appearance; superficialities.

SYNONYMS FOR

external


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synonyms

for


external

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ANTONYMS FOR

external


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antonyms

for


external

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QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THE OXFORD COMMA!

The Oxford comma vexes many a writer (to use or not to use!). Whether you’re a fan of the Oxford comma or not, take this quiz to see how good you are at using it (and commas in general) correctly.
Question

1

of

6

Where should the Oxford comma go in a sentence?

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Origin of


external

Late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at

extern

,

-al

1

OTHER WORDS FROM external


ex·ter·nal·ly,


adverb


non·ex·ter·nal,


adjective,


noun


non·ex·ter·nal·ly,


adverb


qua·si-ex·ter·nal,


adjective


qua·si-ex·ter·nal·ly,


adverb


sem·i·ex·ter·nal,


adjective


sem·i·ex·ter·nal·ly,


adverb


sub·ex·ter·nal,


adjective


sub·ex·ter·nal·ly,


adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH external



extraneous

,

external

,

extrinsic

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to

external

Example sentences from the Web for

external

Individual companies may be able to turn

external

shocks into lemonade.


Why investing in supply chain resilience pays off



|

lbelanger225



|

November 16, 2020



|

Fortune

If you don’t have insurance, XpresCheck’s fee is $75 for the PCR or $90 for the PCR and antibody test, plus $50 to $100 in

external

lab fees.


Here’s what you need to know about getting a coronavirus test at the airport



|

Andrea Sachs



|

November 12, 2020



|

Washington Post

Branding is an essential part of

external

communications, but it should also be acknowledged for internal communication plans.


Internal communication plan: How SMB marketing teams can achieve growth



|

Ronita Mohan



|

November 12, 2020



|

Search Engine Watch

Unfortunately, she and other experts told me, in this case, a planned

external

review was on a collision course with the surge in coronavirus cases that hit the nation over the last month.


Pfizer’s Vaccine Announcement Was Always Going To Be Political



|

Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com)



|

November 10, 2020



|

FiveThirtyEight

Don’t toss out that old drive when you’re done, though—you can put it in a USB enclosure and use it as an

external

drive for backups, extra storage for your gaming PC, or as a way to hand stuff off to your friends.


Rip out your computer’s brain and turn it into an external hard drive



|

Whitson Gordon



|

November 10, 2020



|

Popular Science

That announcement dealt a huge blow to our morale internally and to the case that we made to minority voters

external

ly.


The Valerie Jarrett I Know: How She Saved the Obama Campaign and Why She’s Indispensable



|

Joshua DuBois



|

November 18, 2014



|

DAILY BEAST

Third, to justify a killing, the target would also have to be ”

external

ly focused.”


David’s Bookclub: Kill or Capture



|

David Frum



|

September 11, 2012



|

DAILY BEAST

The Times was forced to shift into full-blown damage-control mode, both internally and

external

ly.


Augusta’s Weird Culture War Ends With Membership for Rice, Moore



|

Michelle Cottle



|

August 21, 2012



|

DAILY BEAST

They will probably try to keep things calm

external

ly while the succession maneuvering takes place.


North Korea’s Youthful New Leader Kim Jong-Un Faces Nuclear Test



|

Eli Lake



|

December 20, 2011



|

DAILY BEAST

The next questions are around issues that might threaten that peace—not only

external

ly, but also from within a community.


How the Gambia is Fighting FGC



|

Julia Lalla-Maharajh



|

February 5, 2011



|

DAILY BEAST

The flowers grow in clusters from the extremities of the stalk; they are yellow

external

ly and of a delicate red within.


Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce



|

E. R. Billings.

I ordered lukewarm baths, frequent fomentations, and the use of oil and soap, applied

external

ly and rubbed into the body.


A Woman’s Journey Round the World



|

Ida Pfeiffer

In the autumn of 1863, after a visit to Apukhtin, Tchaikovsky returned to Petersburg,

external

ly and inwardly a changed man.


The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky



|

Modeste Tchaikovsky


External

ly, Tchaikovskys life had remained unchanged during this period.


The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky



|

Modeste Tchaikovsky

It is a very humble, plain-looking edifice

external

ly; and internally it is equally unassuming.


Our Churches and Chapels



|

Atticus


British Dictionary definitions for

external


external


/ (

ɪkˈstɜːn

ə

l

) /


adjective


of, situated on, or suitable for the outside; outer


coming or acting from without


external evidence from an independent source


of or involving foreign nations; foreign


of, relating to, or designating a medicine that is applied to the outside of the body


anatomy


situated on or near the outside of the body


the external ear


education


denoting assessment by examiners who are not employed at the candidate’s place of study



Australian

and

NZ



(of a student) studying a university subject extramurally


philosophy


(of objects, etc) taken to exist independently of a perceiving mind


noun


(often plural)


an external circumstance or aspect, esp one that is superficial or inessential



Australian

and

NZ



a student taking an extramural subject

Derived forms of external



externally

,

adverb

Word Origin for

external

C15: from Latin

externus

outward, from

exterus

on the outside, from

ex

out of
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Medical definitions for

external


external


[ ĭk-stûr



nəl ]


adj.


Relating to, connected with, or existing on the outside; exterior.

The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.


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