externality
noun
ex·ter·nal·i·ty
ˌek-ˌstər-ˈna-lə-tē 
plural externalities
1
: the quality or state of being external or externalized
2
: something that is external
3
: a secondary or unintended consequence
pollution and other externalities of manufacturing
Examples of externality in a Sentence
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These examples signal a broader shift in how risk can be managed, and how ecosystems are beginning to be treated not as externalities, but as investable risk buffers.
—
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
While today's market may not fully price environmental externalities, forward-thinking policies and market pressures increasingly will.
—Aya Saed, Time, 17 June 2025
The best argument in opposition has less to do with the choice of pastime per se than with its externalities.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
Big environmental impacts like global greenhouse gas emissions can feel abstract, but for the people living near big cattle operations, the externalities from these facilities are anything but.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025
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Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
While today's market may not fully price environmental externalities, forward-thinking policies and market pressures increasingly will.
—Aya Saed, Time, 17 June 2025
The best argument in opposition has less to do with the choice of pastime per se than with its externalities.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
Big environmental impacts like global greenhouse gas emissions can feel abstract, but for the people living near big cattle operations, the externalities from these facilities are anything but.
—Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for externality
Cite this Entry
“Externality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/externality. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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