external
B2Neutral to formal. Common in academic, business, and technical writing.
Definition
Meaning
Belonging to, situated on, or coming from the outside of something.
1. Coming from or relating to a country or organization other than one's own. 2. (Of medicine, a university course, etc.) intended for people who are not members or full-time participants. 3. Existing independently of the mind.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used in contrast with 'internal.' Can refer to physical location, origin, or perspective. In business/IT, denotes resources or factors outside an organization's direct control.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Spelling is consistent. Usage in 'external degree/candidate' (BrE) vs. 'external degree/student' (AmE) for non-resident university studies is similar.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in AmE corporate/business discourse (e.g., 'external consultant,' 'external audit').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
external to + NP (e.g., factors external to the company)Attributive adjective + noun (e.g., external door)Predicative use (less common, e.g., The cause was external.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The eternal is but the external turned inside out. (philosophical maxim)”
- “Judge not by externals. (proverb)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to parties or forces outside the organisation, e.g., 'We hired an external agency for the marketing campaign.'
Academic
Describes influences, validity, or research from outside a specific system, e.g., 'The study's external validity is high.'
Everyday
Describes the outer part of objects or outside influences, e.g., 'Use the external door at the back.'
Technical
In computing, denotes hardware or connections outside the main computer case, e.g., 'Save the file to an external SSD.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The firm decided to externalise its IT support.
American English
- The company will externalize its manufacturing to cut costs.
adverb
British English
- The unit is powered externally via a USB cable.
American English
- The device can be mounted externally on the wall.
adjective
British English
- All external doors must be kept locked after hours.
- She's studying for an external degree from the University of London.
American English
- The external review confirmed the findings.
- Check for any external damage to the package.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The house has an external wall made of brick.
- Please use the external door.
- External factors like the weather can affect our plans.
- I saved the photos on an external drive.
- The report was verified by an independent external auditor.
- She faced considerable external pressure to resign.
- The philosopher argued that beauty is not merely an external attribute but has intrinsic value.
- The treaty's provisions are binding on both internal and external trade.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'EXit' and 'TERRitory' – something that is EXternal is on the outside territory or the exit side.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/INFLUENCE IS FROM OUTSIDE (e.g., 'We need an external perspective.'); THE SELF IS A CONTAINER (contrast internal/external emotions).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'внешний' in all contexts where 'outward' or 'superficial' might be more accurate (e.g., 'external beauty' vs. 'внешняя красота' is correct, but can be misleading).
- In business, 'external' is broader than 'внешний' and can include non-physical concepts like 'external data.'
Common Mistakes
- Using 'external' to mean 'additional' (e.g., 'We need external time' is wrong; use 'extra' or 'additional').
- Confusing 'external' with 'eternal' in spelling/pronunciation.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'external' NOT typically mean 'originating from outside'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is commonly used for abstract concepts like influence, pressure, or validity (e.g., external factors, external validity of research).
'Exterior' is primarily a noun or adjective for the outside surface of a specific object (the exterior of the building). 'External' is a broader adjective meaning 'from the outside' and is used more widely for non-physical concepts.
Yes, though less common. As a noun (often plural: 'externals'), it can refer to outward features or superficial aspects (e.g., 'Don't be fooled by externals').
Stress the second syllable: ik-STER-nul. The 'x' is pronounced /ks/. In American English, the vowel in the stressed syllable is the 'er' /ɝː/ sound.