external

noun

(usually in the plural) The exterior; outward features or appearances.

Inessential or superficial features.

Outward appearance.

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

adjective

Outside of something; on the exterior.

(anatomy) Situated near or toward the surface of the body.

(pharmacology, relational) Relating to or denoting a medicine or similar substance for use on the outside of the body.

Capable of being perceived outwardly.

Having merely the outward appearance of something.

Not intrinsic or essential.

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

Relating to or connected with foreign nations or institutions.

Having existence independent of the mind.

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

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

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

Roots

exterexter- · Latin · outer, outside

Synonyms for external

outsiden extraneousadj exterioradj extrinsicadj outeradj outwardadv foreignadj

Synonyms & related words for external

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of external — including outside, extraneous, exterior, extrinsic, outer, outward. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to external

Explore words related to external — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include externally, internal, externalism, extern, exteriorly, internally, extrinsically, epizoic. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for external

Common synonyms for external include outside, extraneous, exterior, extrinsic, outer, outward, foreign — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does external come from?

The word external breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root exter-, from Latin exter (“outer, outside”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.