Definition of externalnext
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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of external This technology can power external appliances, such as at a tailgate party or for mobile work equipment. New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2026 The regime in Tehran has held onto power through successive internal and external crises regardless of doomsday prophesizing in Washington or Tel Aviv. Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026 The stand is height-adjustable, and a One Connect Box is included for keeping external media devices out of sight. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026 For Chinese consumers today, luxury is being redefined from external markers of status to internal systems of meaning. Yiling Pan, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for external
Recent Examples of Synonyms for external
Adjective
  • Early longevity studies analyzed groups of people who were born in a time of widespread extrinsic mortality.
    Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Although both are important in their own right, research from Personality and Individual Differences demonstrates that when people begin depending on extrinsic motivations like external feedback to gauge their success, their anxiety increases.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Rotation breaks internal barrier Internal gravity waves generated by churning motions in the outer envelope were already suspected to play a part.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Some of these trolls are merely pasting swastikas on their nihilism, but their ideological sincerity is irrelevant.
    Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026
  • His dismissal of Israel as irrelevant while praising Brazil might sound like economic policy.
    Steven Burg, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The exterior design is a show-stopper for its sleek modern lines and clever lighting.
    Scotty Reiss, Parents, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The monitor can be controlled remotely by wall panels and is also touchscreen, curved to match the bulkhead, and connected to an exterior camera that gives a sense of transparency to the wall.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • People who import non-conforming foreign cars also must post bond and comply with other Transportation Department terms and conditions.
    Keith Laing, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Among the deployers of foreign capital eager to invest in the boom years was the giant New York hedge fund Och-Ziff (since rebranded as Sculptor Capital).
    Nicolas Niarchos, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Each has been given extraneous dramatic business, perhaps to balance the scales with Oliver and Ciara, and to underscore that this is a show about two sets of couples, their trust issues and their need for one another.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Others see them as extraneous measures for pet projects that balloon congressional spending.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
  • The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
    Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
Adjective
  • In early February, a 59-year-old Halethorpe man died after a lighter sparked an accidental house fire, Baltimore County Fire officials said.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • This helps prevent accidental spills or leaks, which can create quite a mess in your luggage.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“External.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/external. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.

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