external
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.located on the outside of something.
adj.situated on or relating to the outside or exterior of an object or body.
Simple“The external walls of the house were painted white to reflect the heat.”
In context“The external structure of the spacecraft was designed to withstand the extreme thermal fluctuations encountered during atmospheric re-entry.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.coming from a different person, company, or group.
adj.originating from or provided by a source outside the subject or organisation under consideration.
Simple“The company hired an external consultant to review their finances.”
In context“The university underwent an external audit to ensure that its research funding was being allocated according to national guidelines.”
SynonymsAntonymsinternalin house - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to other countries or nations.
adj.relating to or connected with foreign nations or international affairs.
Simple“The government is reviewing its external trade policies this year.”
In context“The ministry of external affairs issued a statement regarding the escalating diplomatic tensions in the region.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.a piece of equipment that is not inside the main computer.
adj.referring to hardware or storage devices that are connected to but not contained within the main chassis of a computer.
Simple“I keep all my backup photos on an external hard drive.”
In context“The server's capacity was expanded using an external storage array connected via a high-speed fibre channel.”
SynonymsAntonymsbuilt inintegrated - 05 C1 Advanced
n.the outward parts or appearance of something.
n.the outward features, appearances, or exterior aspects of a person or thing; typically used in the plural.
Simple“He was a kind man, though his externals were rough and intimidating.”
In context“The philosopher argued that one should focus on the cultivation of the soul rather than the fleeting nature of worldly externals.”
SynonymsAntonymsinternals - 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a value in a computer program that comes from outside the current file.
n.a variable defined in the source code whose value is derived from an external source or shared across multiple modules.
Simple“The programmer declared the configuration setting as an external.”
In context“By using externals, the development team ensured that the core logic remained decoupled from the environment-specific parameters.”
Synonyms
Usage external linking · external sites · concurrent external
“In a statement on Thursday, the company said its financial situation was due to "external economic challenges".”
“The plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, produces no electricity but needs power supplied by two external links to keep nuclear fuel cool, Reuters said.”
From Late Middle English, from Medieval Latin externus (“outward, external”), from exter/exterus (“on the outside, outward”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.