external

UK: /ɪkˈstɜː^rn^əl/ US: /ɪkˈstɝnəl/ ,(ik stûr′nl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•ter•nal /ɪkˈstɜrnəl/   adj. 

1. of or relating to the outside or outer part;
   outer.
2. Medicine to be applied to the outside of a body:
   The medicine says "for external use only.''
3. located or being outside something;
   acting or coming from without:
   external influences.

ex•ter•nal•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•ter•nal  (ik stûr′nl), adj. 

1. of or pertaining to the outside or outer part;
   outer:
   an external surface.
2. Medicine to be applied to the outside of a body, as a remedy:
   for external use only.
3. situated or being outside something;
   acting or coming from without:
   external influences.
4. pertaining to the outward or visible appearance or show:
   external acts of worship.
5. pertaining to or concerned with foreign countries:
   external affairs; external commerce.
6. Anatomy, Zoology [Zool., Anat.] on the side farthest from the body, the median line, or the center of a radially symmetrical form.
7. Philosophy [Metaphys.] of or pertaining to the world of things, considered as independent of the perceiving mind:
   external world.

n. 

8. the outside;
   outer surface;
   exterior.
9. something that is external.
10. externals, external features, circumstances, etc.;
    outward appearance;
    superficialities.

• 1375–1425; late Middle English; see extern, -al¹

ex•ter′nal•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. outermost, exterior.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

external / ɪkˈstɜːn^əl/ adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the outside; outer
2. coming or acting from without
3. of or involving foreign nations; foreign
4. of, relating to, or designating a medicine that is applied to the outside of the body
5. situated on or near the outside of the body
6. (of a student) studying a university subject extramurally
7. (of objects, etc) taken to exist independently of a perceiving mind

noun

1. (often plural) an external circumstance or aspect, esp one that is superficial or inessential
2. a student taking an extramural subject

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin externus outward, from exterus on the outside, from ex out of

exˈternally adverb