Skip to the word

Added 8 October 2026

external

/ɪkˈstɜː.nəl/ noun

In Latin: exter, externus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about external at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Outward features.
he enjoyed the solemn externals of religion

adjective

Happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface.
the external auditory canal
Coming from the outside.
extraneous light in the camera spoiled the photograph
From or between other countries.
external commerce

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word