EXTERNAL Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

external

adjective

ek-ˈstər-nᵊl

Definition of external

as in extrinsic

not being a vital part of or belonging to something the defendant's socioeconomic status must be regarded as entirely external to his guilt or innocence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in outer

situated on the outside or farther out the external chambers of the ancient tomb gave little indication of the magnificence of the innermost chamber

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of external Inside the plane, Hammami seized advantage of an airline-safety rule enacted after September 11, 2001, which mandated that pilots must be able to lock the cockpit from the inside to prevent hijackings or other external threats to the plane. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Transparency and raw external seams played a key role in her spring collection, and certain designs featured real flowers pressed onto fabrics thanks to eco-printing. — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 The development of larger renewable-energy projects will require external capital, technology and expertise, creating opportunities for investors able to contribute to the island’s energy transition. — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 The method could damage skin and irritate external hemorrhoids. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for external

Recent Examples of Synonyms for external

Adjective

Educational psychology provides a useful framework for understanding this phenomenon through the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

— Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Extrinsic rewards, such as grades, do so because extrinsic desires tend to crowd out intrinsic ones.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of extrinsic

Adjective

Holding her tongue is not Kate’s forte in general, and the severity of Todd’s avalanche of blunders in their meeting with the British foreign secretary tests the outer limits of her ability.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Electrons from outer shells then fell into those vacancies, releasing energy as X-rays.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of outer

Adjective

Ovitz, meanwhile, asked to be excused from further questioning on the grounds that Ormond’s lawyers were trying to harass him with irrelevant questions.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
But three judges added a concurrence that could make the whole thing irrelevant — and finally clear the way for Presnell’s sentence to be carried out.

— Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of irrelevant

Adjective

There is an accumulation of food debris on exterior surfaces of oven in kitchen.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
The ornamentation, both exterior and interior, is taken from the Late Classic and Earlv Post-Classic periods of the Mayan civilization in Meso-America, according to the national register.

— Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of exterior

Adjective

High energy costs, coupled with record exits of foreign investors from its capital markets due to risk aversion and the lack of artificial intelligence play, have kept the rupee under pressure.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Majidi previously made Oscar history with Children of Heaven (1997), which became the first Iranian film nominated in the international category, then known as best foreign-language film.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of foreign

Adjective

McAuliffe, now a breast cancer surgeon and clinical investigator at Emory University, said that surgeons encounter a lot of extraneous information in the electronic health record — but the nudge was simple.

— Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
That some narrative moves are obvious, some unconvincing and some just extraneous does not get in the way of a good time.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026