DictionaryAI

internal

adjective
Sayin-TUR-nuhl/ɪnˈtɝ.nəl/UK/ɪnˈtɜː.nəl/

8 meanings of internal

Practice

  1. 1
    insideadjective
    Located on or relating to the inside of something.

    The mechanic found corrosion on several of the engine's internal components.

    The building's internal staircase was rebuilt after the fire.

    Similarinner, inside, interior, inward

    Oppositeexternal, outer, outside, exterior

  2. 2
    within a companyadjective
    Concerned with the private, non-public affairs or operations of a company or other organization.

    An internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by the executives.

    The email was marked internal and was never meant to reach customers.

    Similarin-house, private, confidential

    Oppositeexternal, public

  3. 3
    within a countryadjective
    Having to do with matters within a nation, state, or other political community rather than its dealings with others.

    The ambassador refused to comment on the internal politics of her host country.

    Internal disputes over taxation weakened the young republic long before any foreign threat did.

    Similardomestic

    Oppositeforeign, external, international

  4. 4
    in the bodyadjective
    Situated, occurring or arising inside the body or another living organism rather than on its surface or outside it.

    Internal injuries are not always visible after an accident.

    The scan revealed internal swelling around the patient's kidney.

    Note

    A clinician's word for what lies inside the body: internal bleeding, internal injuries, internal swelling. It works after its noun as well as before it, so one can say internal bleeding or her bleeding was internal. In both positions the contrast is with the body's surface or the outside. The word names where the problem is, not whether it shows: internal bleeding can still surface as bruising.

    Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Internal describes location inside the body; internal bleeding can be visible as bruising. stjohnwa.com.au
    • The contrast concerns location inside or outside the body, rather than visibility. medlineplus.gov
  5. 5
    in the mindadjective
    Taking place or experienced within one's own mind; inner rather than outwardly expressed.

    The novel traces the narrator's internal monologue over a single afternoon.

    He kept his internal doubts hidden throughout the negotiations.

    Similarinner, inward, private, unspoken

    Oppositeoutward, external

  6. 6
    inner natureadjective
    Relating to the inner or essential nature of a thing; intrinsic.

    The theory collapsed under the weight of its own internal contradictions.

    Reviewers praised the film's internal consistency despite its complicated timeline.

    Similarinherent, intrinsic

    Oppositeexternal, extrinsic

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    swallowedadjective
    Intended to be swallowed and taken into the body through the digestive tract, rather than applied to the skin or surface of the body.

    The label warns that the tincture is not safe for internal use.

    Pharmacists once prepared both internal and topical versions of the same remedy.

    UsageMostly on labels: for internal use, not for internal use (not to be swallowed).

    Similaroral

    Oppositeexternal, topical

    Note

    Pharmacy's sense of the word turns on the route a remedy takes. An internal remedy is swallowed and passes through the digestive tract, unlike a lotion or ointment spread on the skin.

  2. 8
    enrolled studentadjectiveBritish
    Attending a university as an enrolled student there, rather than merely sitting its examinations as an outside candidate.

    As an internal candidate at the University of London, he attended lectures as well as taking the examinations.

    Internal students follow the taught course, while external students prepare for the same exams on their own.

    Oppositeexternal

    Note

    A term from British university life that defines one kind of student against another. The internal student attends lectures and is taught by the institution. The external student sits examinations without attending. It mostly describes people, as in an internal student or an internal candidate, though the University of London also spoke of internal degrees. Readers outside British usage may need the distinction spelled out.

Practice

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Origin

Latin internus ("inward, internal") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ālis gave Medieval Latin internālis, meaning "of or pertaining to the inner part," which Middle English borrowed as internall.