external

English

Alternative forms

• externall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Late Middle English, from Medieval Latin externus (“outward, external”), from exter/exterus (“on the outside, outward”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪksˈtɜː.nəl/, /ɛksˈtɜː.nəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈtɝ.nəl/, /ɪksˈtɝ.nəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

Adjective

external (comparative more external, superlative most external)

1. Outside of something; on the exterior.

   This building has some external pipework.

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Her virtues graced with external gifts.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:

     Of all external things, […] / She [Fancy] forms imaginations, aery shapes.

   1. (anatomy) Situated near or toward the surface of the body.
   2. (pharmacology, relational) Relating to or denoting a medicine or similar substance for use on the outside of the body.
2. Capable of being perceived outwardly.
   1. Having merely the outward appearance of something.

      Synonym: superficial

   2. Not intrinsic or essential.

      Synonyms: accidental, accompanying; see also Thesaurus:extrinsic

      • 1850, Richard Chenevix Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord:

        The external circumstances are greatly different.

3. Provided by something or someone outside of the entity (object, group, company etc.) considered.

   external authority, external force

4. Relating to or connected with foreign nations or institutions.

   external trade or commerce; the external relations of a state or kingdom

   Synonym: foreign

5. Having existence independent of the mind.

   external reality

6. (education) For or concerning students registered with and taking the examinations of a university but not resident there.

   external degrees

7. (computing, of a hardware) Not contained in the main computer.

   Synonym: peripheral

8. (computing, of storage) Using a disk or tape drive rather than the main memory.

Antonyms

• internal

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

external (plural externals)

1. (usually in the plural) The exterior; outward features or appearances.
   1. Inessential or superficial features.
   2. Outward appearance.
   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXV, in Francesca Carrara. , volume I, London: Richard Bentley, , (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 298:

     They had been such declared, such personal enemies, that, even in a court, it seemed wonderful how a decent external could be given to their reconciliation.

2. (programming, in the C language) A variable that is defined in the source code but whose value comes from some external source.

References

• “external”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “external”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Further reading

• “external”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “external”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “external”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.