external

Outside of something; on the exterior.

Adjective

  1. Outside of something; on the exterior.
    • This building has some external pipework.
    • Her virtues graced with external gifts. - 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
    • Of all external things, […] / She [Fancy] forms imaginations, aery shapes. - 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert...

    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.

    Synonyms: superficial

    1. Having merely the outward appearance of something.

    2. Not intrinsic or essential.

      • The external circumstances are greatly different. - 1850, Richard Chenevix Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord:

      Synonyms: accidental accompanying adscititious external extraneous extrinsic

  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

    Synonyms: foreign

  5. Having existence independent of the mind.
    • external reality
  6. For or concerning students registered with and taking the examinations of a university but not resident there.
    • external degrees
  7. Not contained in the main computer.

    Synonyms: peripheral

  8. Using a disk or tape drive rather than the main memory.

Origin

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

Forms

more external most external externall

Antonyms

internal

Derived

anteroexternal dorsoexternal external acoustic meatus external auditory canal external auditory meatus external carotid artery external cause external condom external conflict external coupling external ear external examiner external fertilization external genitalia external hemorrhoid external iliac artery externalism externalist externalistic externality externalization externalize externalise external link

Noun

  1. The exterior; outward features or appearances.
    • To a non-Christian who has never experienced but only observed the externals of Christianity, it appears to be merely another spiritual system, but to a person who has left one of the other religions and embraced the...

    1. Inessential or superficial features.

    2. Outward appearance.

      • 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. - 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXV, in...
      • He was indeed a creature who by externals at all events had more in common with another genus than with that humanity among which fate had cast him, and his familiar nickname of "The Toad" crudely indicated what that...
  2. A variable that is defined in the source code but whose value comes from some external source.

Forms

externals externall