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

The internal election spilled into public view, with an op-ed appearing in The New York Times, and 13 of the club’s past presidents wrote an open letter decrying the anti-immigrant candidates as bigots.

From Salon

Trump will be able to get his nominees for administration posts approved more easily, something he struggled with back in 2017 when internal resistance to him in the Republican Party was still a significant factor.

From BBC

The firm added that was health and safety was its "highest priority" and the incident led to an "extensive internal review".

From BBC

Ahead of the 2021 election, the SNP changed internal rules to require MPs to resign their seat at Westminster to fight for selection to Holyrood.

From BBC

Set in a postapocalyptic world where a rich family survives in a hidden bunker, “The End” finds its characters expressing their internal feelings through songs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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