external

Etymology

From Middle French externe + -al, from Latin externus, from exter, exterus (“on the outside, outward”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈtɝnəl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈtɜːnəl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ex‧ter‧nal

Adjective

external (comparative more external, superlative most external)

1. Outside of something; on the exterior.

   This building has some external pipework.

   • Milton

     Of all external things, […] / She [Fancy] forms imaginations, aery shapes.

   • Shakespeare

     Her virtues graced with external gifts.

2. Not intrinsic nor essential; accidental; accompanying; superficial.
   • Trench

     The external circumstances are greatly different.

3. Foreign; relating to or connected with foreign nations.

   external trade or commerce; the external relations of a state or kingdom

4. (anatomy) Away from the mesial plane of the body; lateral.
5. Provided by something or someone outside of the entity (object, group, company etc.) considered.

Noun

external (plural externals)

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