internal

[ in-tur-nl ]

adjective

1. situated or existing in the interior of something; interior.

   Antonyms: external

2. of, relating to, or noting the inside or inner part.

   Antonyms: external

3. Pharmacology. oral ( def 4 ).
4. existing, occurring, or found within the limits or scope of something; intrinsic:

   a theory having internal logic.

5. of or relating to the domestic affairs of a country:

   the internal politics of a nation.

6. existing solely within the individual mind:

   internal malaise.

7. coming from, produced, or motivated by the psyche or inner recesses of the mind; subjective:

   an internal response.

8. Anatomy, Zoology. inner; not superficial; away from the surface or next to the axis of the body or of a part:

   the internal carotid artery.

9. present or occurring within an organism or one of its parts:

   an internal organ.

noun

1. Usually internals. entrails; innards.
2. an inner or intrinsic attribute.

internal

/ ɪnˈtɜːnəl /

adjective

1. of, situated on, or suitable for the inside; inner
2. coming or acting from within; interior
3. involving the spiritual or mental life; subjective
4. of or involving a nation's domestic as opposed to foreign affairs
5. education denoting assessment by examiners who are employed at the candidate's place of study
6. situated within, affecting, or relating to the inside of the body

noun

1. a medical examination of the vagina, uterus, or rectum

Derived Forms

• ˌinterˈnality, noun
• inˈternally, adverb

Other Words From

• inter·nali·ty in·ternal·ness noun
• in·ternal·ly adverb
• quasi-in·ternal adjective
• quasi-in·ternal·ly adverb
• semi-in·ternal adjective
• semi-in·ternal·ly adverb
• subin·ternal adjective
• subin·ternal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of internal¹

First recorded in 1500–10; from Medieval Latin internālis, equivalent to Latin intern(us) intern ³ + ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of internal¹

C16: from Medieval Latin internālis, from Late Latin internus inward

Example Sentences

Taken together, Apple’s policies have a chilling effect on employees’ willingness to be whistleblowers on internal issues and on their freedom of movement in the job market, the lawsuit said.

From Los Angeles Times

This interplay of atomic jumps and collective motion reduces internal stress, protecting the glass from breaking under external force.

From Science Daily

But partners take on their own set of challenges, like figuring out how to split profits and resolve internal conflicts.

From Salon

And if the answer to this is yes, it is an internal matter he has to handle.

From BBC

In response, all the supermarkets said they took these allegations very seriously and have carried out internal investigations which found no evidence of Chinese tomatoes.

From BBC

Related Words

• constitutional
• domestic
• in-house
• intramural
• national
• private
• subjective