EXTERNAL Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

external

adjective

ek-ˈstər-nᵊl

Definition of external

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

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

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Recent Examples of external Providence will appoint additional external board members in the coming months, the company said. — William Earl, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026 Saldivar previously worked for him as district director when Becerra served as a Los Angeles congressman, and later as his director of external affairs when Becerra was state attorney general. — Liam Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026 Auwaerter, who was not part of the study, said the data didn't distinguish consumption from external exposure -- in other words, the hair could have picked up traces of weed simply by being buried together with it. — Mary Evans, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026 The vault links storage with selling through external marketplaces, including eBay. — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for external

Recent Examples of Synonyms for external

Adjective

Educational psychology provides a useful framework for understanding this phenomenon through the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

— Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Extrinsic rewards, such as grades, do so because extrinsic desires tend to crowd out intrinsic ones.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of extrinsic

Adjective

Make each cut in the outer part of the branch that has green needles; don’t cut back into the bare part, where no new needles will grow.

— Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
So the question now is what can the Big Apple and Empire State reap from the outer-borough love?

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of outer

Adjective

In Leipzig, Nelsons’ contribution to the Gewandhaus democracy weekend was no democracy at all, only an irrelevant program of Tchaikovsky and Dvorak standards.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
The arrangement of these nine numbers in the triangle is irrelevant.

— Heinrich Hemme, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of irrelevant

Adjective

The sinking will give new life to a vessel whose once-striking black-and-red exterior paint has been faded by the sun as rust spots pockmark a hull that ferried American luminaries and European royals across the Atlantic Ocean.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
These included issues involving its accelerator pedal, exterior components, and drive systems, adding to the challenges surrounding its production and ownership.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of exterior

Adjective

The initiative will target foreign adversaries and domestic actors who exploit advanced systems for unlawful purposes.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
One option for overhauling the committee, according to people familiar with the situation, is broadening its focus beyond China to explore issues related to other bad foreign actors.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of foreign

Adjective

In some instances a victim’s extraneous activity has made a prosecutor’s task more difficult.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
McAuliffe, now a breast cancer surgeon and clinical investigator at Emory University, said that surgeons encounter a lot of extraneous information in the electronic health record — but the nudge was simple.

— Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of extraneous

Adjective

The medical examiner ruled his death accidental, with several secondary causes listed, including heat stress, tachycardia and osteoporosis.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
However, accidental damage and unrelated screen repairs may fall under different coverage terms.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026