1
as in extrinsic
not being a vital part of or belonging to something
the defendant's socioeconomic status must be regarded as entirely external to his guilt or innocence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
SpaceX’s internal costs for a Falcon 9 launch are thought to be close to $15 million, one-fifth of the $74 million SpaceX charges external customers like Amazon for a dedicated flight.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
Concerns surrounding maritime chokepoints, Red Sea shipping disruptions, and broader geopolitical tensions have reinforced Beijing’s focus on reducing vulnerability to external energy shocks.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
To cultivate the next generation of leaders, companies must first acknowledge what’s holding young workers back (from external financial pressures to burnout and long working hours), and then build environments designed to support their growth.
—Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This content can either be one’s own creation or come from external websites.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for external
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
Concerns surrounding maritime chokepoints, Red Sea shipping disruptions, and broader geopolitical tensions have reinforced Beijing’s focus on reducing vulnerability to external energy shocks.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
To cultivate the next generation of leaders, companies must first acknowledge what’s holding young workers back (from external financial pressures to burnout and long working hours), and then build environments designed to support their growth.
—Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This content can either be one’s own creation or come from external websites.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for external
Recent Examples of Synonyms for external
Adjective
-
She was medically excused from the 2020 WNBA season held amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to extrinsic asthma, then returned to the league with the Washington Mystics in 2021.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
7 May 2026
-
Anyone that wanted to reserve time in the July 19 final was beholden to a full-tourney pledge of as much as $30 million, although your mileage will vary based on any number of extrinsic variables.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What scientists can learn from eclipses Solar eclipses present scientists with unique opportunities to study the sun and its corona, or outer atmosphere, and invite the public to participate as citizen scientists.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
If a star consumes them, its outer layers become chemically enriched, which can be detected from afar.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
In that light, Maryland’s Republicans have done much to become nearly irrelevant to state-level policymaking.—
Anirban Basu,
Baltimore Sun,
5 June 2026
-
Lawmakers should not treat experiences like ours as irrelevant.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The exterior layer is built to stop micrometeoroids and extreme radiation; the inner layer handles the delicate physics of human comfort.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
-
Inspect exterior walls, siding, chimneys and roofs to determine whether any repairs need to be made.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
That finding helps explain why a beginner can sit down at a pottery wheel in a foreign country and walk away with a usable piece in a single afternoon.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
-
Russia warns of major Kyiv attacks The Kremlin urged foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, warning of a major forthcoming attack, with analysts arguing that Russia is losing momentum in its war on Ukraine.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
That rule bars provisions in bills that are deemed to be extraneous to federal spending or outside the jurisdiction of the committees that drafted them.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
3 June 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
-
The New York Times later confirmed that reporting through more anonymous US officials, including one official who said US military investigators were still evaluating whether the Iranian drone strike on the helicopter was intentional or accidental.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
10 June 2026
-
The search warrant obtained by ABC News shows that federal agents were instructed to look for anything that would indicate violations of a law to prevent the accidental release of extremely hazardous substances into the air.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“External.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/external. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
