Skip to content

external

/ɛkˈstɜɹ.nəl/noun, adjective3 syllables

External means: coming from the outside.

Synonyms for external12

adjective, as in coming from the outside

extraneous, outside, extrinsic

adjective, as in from or between other countries

international, outside, foreign

adjective, as in happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface

outer, outside

adjective, as in purely outward or superficial

outward

also used for external

superficial, accidental, accompanying, adscititious, peripheral

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of external

internal

What does external mean?5

adjective

1

coming from the outside“extraneous light in the camera spoiled the photograph”

2

from or between other countries“external commerce”

3

happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface“the external auditory canal”

4

purely outward or superficial“external composure”

noun

1

outward features“he enjoyed the solemn externals of religion”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with external?10

three syllables

internaleternalmaternalpaternalnocturnalfraternalinfernal
Show 40 near rhymes
personservicecurrentcertainversiongermancommercialpurposesurfacepurchaseurbandetermineddeterminecircleuniversalcircuitpurchasedpersonsnervousversionscouragepurpleversusworshipconversionburdencontroversialgermansurgentnursescirclessurgeonservantmerchantthermalservantsuncertaincircusjournalssuburban

External in a sentence

  • Furthermore, the frog’s external appearance and skeletal shape add to its distinctiveness.Cangarejo
  • The most profound changes are internal, not external.Nuel
  • To that end, the company signed with an external contractor.frpzzd
  • Men need some kind of external activity, because they are inactive within.carlosalberto
  • Luckily, it's all backed up on my external hard drive.CK
  • Speech is external thought, and thought internal speech.Adelpa
  • It's a private cabin, but you share an external washroom with the other cabins.Eccles17
  • True fulfillment comes from within, not from external sources.Nuel

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of external

as a noun

plural
externals