1
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 As analysts have previously told Newsweek, even those critical of the Islamic Republic often rally behind the central government in the face of external threats and secessionist movements. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 Archaeologists identified two phases of construction: an earlier stage that created the foundation of the wall and a later stage where an external curtain of blocks was added, according to the release. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025 ComEd, a unit of energy company Exelon, appointed Melissa Washington as SVP of governmental, regulatory, and external affairs. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 23 June 2025 Baroness Kennedy, who also serves as a lawmaker in the House of Lords, said Channel 4 should engage an external attorney to examine the agreements signed by former staffers who left the public service broadcaster amid an employment dispute. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for external
Recent Examples of Synonyms for external
Adjective
  • Is your motivation for doing well extrinsic or intrinsic?
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
  • It has been observed that extrinsic rewards can override intrinsic motivations over time.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • This hotter layer of the sun's outer atmosphere — typically only observable during totality in a total solar eclipse — is where space weather events come from, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
  • The sun's corona The solar corona, the sun's outer atmosphere, is a mystery.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • The most dangerous founders secretly fear becoming irrelevant in their own creation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • The short movie for spring — whose title is being kept under wraps until the screening — is set on a ferry boat trip, its destination unknown and irrelevant, Magliano added.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • With the aid of intuitive, user-friendly landscape design software, exterior architects and designers can easily streamline the time-consuming practices that threaten to bog down projects.
    Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2025
  • Adding to the new look and feel is a full makeover inside and out that adds to the Lincoln Navigator experience, with new interiors palettes, a new exterior lighting signature and a new split tailgate that adds to the utility of this SUV.
    Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Various foreign agricultural products are prohibited from being brought into the United States in order to protect the country's native plantlife from disease and invasive species.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 28 June 2025
  • The Trump administration is also targeting violent criminals from countries of foreign concern like China and state sponsors of terrorism like Iran.
    Bethany Blankley, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • And, to be clear, there are some people who use protests like the ones against Trump’s immigration raids as a cover and excuse to pursue an extraneous agenda of violence and anarchy.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • Savvy business owners are generally cognizant of macroeconomic, geopolitical, and other extraneous elements that impact their performance.
    Jeffrey Johnston, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Lauren Heller Since Sagittarians are willing to try anything once, the Fire sign resembles Lauren's adventitious persona.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 31 Mar. 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
  • Insider threats—whether malicious or accidental—are the Trojan Horse of modern cybersecurity.
    Muhi S. Majzoub, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Her manner of death was determined to be accidental.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 27 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“External.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/external. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on external

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!