external
/ɪkˈstɜːnl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstɜːrnl/ (ame, ipa) · /ek-ˈstər-nᵊl/ (ame, mw)
external — adjective
- externalpositive
- more externalcomparative
- most externalsuperlative
1. relating to the outside of an object, person, or place, or arising beyond a part
relating to the outside of an object, person, or place, or arising beyond a particular organisation or setting.
Wei painted the external walls of the house a pale cream colour.
collocation: external walls
The police found no signs of external injury on the victim.
collocation: external injury
Many factors external to the company influenced its decision to close the factory.
An external auditor visits the factory once a year to check the records.
- internal
direct opposite; 'internal' refers to the inside of a system, object, or organisation
文法句型
external + noun
be external to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Attributive only — you can say 'the external wall' but NOT 'the wall is external' in everyday use. The pattern 'external to + noun phrase' is more formal and common in academic or business writing.
常見錯誤
2. relating to or involving other countries, especially in matters of trade, politi
relating to or involving other countries, especially in matters of trade, politics, finance, or international relations.
The government wants to attract more external investment from Asian markets.
collocation: external investment
Indra studied external trade policies between the EU and Southeast Asia.
collocation: external trade
The finance minister outlined the country's external debt repayment plan.
Hyun works in the department of external affairs at the embassy.
- foreign
more common in everyday use; 'foreign policy' is interchangeable with 'external policy' in formal writing
- international
broader scope; includes multilateral and global contexts rather than strictly bilateral cross-border matters
- domestic
the opposite in political and economic contexts; 'domestic trade' vs 'external trade'
文法句型
external + noun (trade, policy, affairs, investment)
用法筆記
Commonly paired with nouns like 'trade', 'policy', 'affairs', 'relations', 'investment', 'debt'. In this sense 'external' contrasts with 'domestic' (inside the country), not with 'internal'.
常見錯誤
3. based on outward appearance only, having little connection with what is real, im
based on outward appearance only, having little connection with what is real, important, or essential about a person, situation, or thing.
Ada felt their praise was purely external, not a genuine recognition of her work.
adverb: purely external
The logo changes were merely external and did nothing to fix the brand's real problems.
adverb: merely external
To an outsider, their marriage looked fine, but the harmony was only external.
Their apology seemed purely external, lacking any real feeling of regret.
- superficial
more direct and common in everyday speech; 'superficial' carries a clearer negative judgement
- outward
neutral register; 'outward calm' describes appearance without implying deception or emptiness
文法句型
purely/merely/strictly external
external + noun (appearance, show, formality)
用法筆記
Often modified by 'purely', 'merely', 'only', or 'strictly' to emphasise the contrast with inner reality. Can be used predicatively (e.g. 'the harmony was only external'), unlike the OUTSIDE sense.
常見錯誤
external — noun
1. the visible or obvious features of a person, object, or situation, especially wh
the visible or obvious features of a person, object, or situation, especially when these do not reflect the true inner character, value, or quality.
Students should not judge a university by its externals, such as buildings, but by the teaching.
pattern: judge by externals
The committee focused on externals like uniform colours and ignored the training programme.
plural only: externals
Beneath the externals of a calm professional, Paul was extremely nervous about the presentation.
Many job seekers focus on externals like salary rather than job satisfaction.
- appearance
broader and more neutral; 'appearance' includes both positive and negative connotations without the critical edge of 'externals'
- superficialities
more explicitly negative; implies the features are trivial and unimportant
- substance
what is real and important rather than surface-level
文法句型
the externals of + noun phrase
judge by externals
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'externals'. The singular 'external' as a noun is very rare in modern English. This sense carries a mildly critical tone — it suggests that surface features are being overvalued at the expense of deeper qualities.