externality
Americannoun
plural
externalities-
the state or quality of being external to or outside someone or something; the fact of being outer, outward, or on the surface.
A child just learning to speak already has a sense of the externality of the world.
-
something external; an outward feature, or all outward features considered together.
One can be too preoccupied with the externalities of religion.
-
excessive attention to external or outward features; superficiality.
The article explores the externality of identity in a world of media-constructed self-image.
-
a side effect of some process or activity, especially a negative effect of an economic activity that is not accounted for in the price of what is produced.
Externalities such as air pollution are sometimes eliminated through government regulation.
They argue that there is an externality from breeding new pets, as the cute babies crowd out older pets.
noun
-
the state or condition of being external
-
something external
-
philosophy the quality of existing independently of a perceiving mind
-
an economic effect that results from an economic choice but is not reflected in market prices
Other Word Forms
- nonexternality noun
Etymology
Origin of externality
Explanation
An externality is an outside factor or condition that can affect something else. A snow storm for example, is an externality that can cause delays at the airport. Externality comes from the Latin root word externus meaning "outside" or "outward." An externality is something on the outside that affects other things. Often an externality is a behavior or result of behavior by one party that affects others who have no choice in its happening. For example, factory pollution is an externality that can affect people's health and well-being. It's outside of their control and yet it has an impact on their lives.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"In economics, we call that externality," she said.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2024
In short, electric vehicle production just doesn’t look like a network externality business.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2022
“For a negative externality like climate, carrots are always going to be more expensive than sticks,” says Roberton Williams III, a University of Maryland environmental economist.
From Washington Post • Nov. 1, 2021
But each of them—roadway safety, air pollution, and infrastructure—is an externality we can see coming a mile away and deal with accordingly.
From Slate • May 21, 2021
As the external side of religion had been previously directed to the performance of good works, this externality was now determined by a written law.
From The Canon of the Bible by Davidson, Samuel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
