as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)
bizarre paintings that are the externalization of a very troubled psyche
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Recent Examples of externalization
The trade-off for that short-term satisfaction is the externalization of a thinking process that used to live inside a junior associate’s head.
—
Jeff Raikes, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
The cumulative effect could be the gradual externalization of state capacity.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Virtuoso delivers accurate externalization and localization of sound, ensuring mix decisions translate well to loudspeakers.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
But this depiction of public shaming feels like a paranoid fantasy, an externalization of May’s guilt, rather than a believable development.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Interludes in which the accusing faces of prisoners silently fill the frame act as a sort of externalization of his survivor’s guilt.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Jeff Raikes, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
The cumulative effect could be the gradual externalization of state capacity.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Virtuoso delivers accurate externalization and localization of sound, ensuring mix decisions translate well to loudspeakers.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
But this depiction of public shaming feels like a paranoid fantasy, an externalization of May’s guilt, rather than a believable development.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Interludes in which the accusing faces of prisoners silently fill the frame act as a sort of externalization of his survivor’s guilt.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for externalization
Noun
-
Another glaring manifestation of the Kremlin’s increasing paranoia occurred during the May 9, 2026, Victory Day parade in Moscow.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
23 May 2026
-
But the manifestation of stress will differ.—
Corinne Schuman,
Parents,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
At the center of the image stood King Charles, 77, alongside 78-year-old wife Queen Camilla.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
That matters in a world where science is increasingly attacked and even images themselves are increasingly doubted.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Externalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/externalization. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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