internal

Alternative forms

• internall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English internall, internalle, borrowing from New Latin internālis (“of or pertaining to the inner part”), from internus (“inward, internal”) +‎ -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). By surface analysis, intern +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɜː.nəl/, /ɪnˈtɜː.nl̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɝ.nl̩/, /ˈɪnˌtɝ.nl̩/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

Adjective

internal (comparative more internal, superlative most internal)

1. Of or situated on the inside.

   We saw the internal compartments of the machine.

   1. (medicine) Within the body.

      Her bleeding was internal.

   2. Concerned with the domestic affairs of a nation, state or other political community.

      The nation suffered from internal conflicts.

      the minister of internal affairs

   3. Concerned with the non-public affairs of a company or other organisation.

      An internal investigation was conducted.

   4. (biology) Present or arising within an organism or one of its parts.

      an internal stimulus

   5. (pharmacology) Applied or intended for application through the stomach by being swallowed.

      an internal remedy

2. Experienced in one's mind; inner rather than expressed.

   internal feelings

3. Of the inner nature of a thing.

   Synonyms: intrinsic, inherent

4. (British, education, of a student) Attending a university as well as taking its examinations.

References

• “internal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “internal”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Further reading

• “internal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “internal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “internal”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Etymology

From English internal, from Middle English internall, internalle, from Medieval Latin internālis (“of or pertaining to the inner part”), from Latin internus (“internal”) + -ālis, equivalent to intern +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɪntərˈnal]
• Hyphenation: in‧têr‧nal
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

internal (uncountable)

1. internal.

   Synonym: intern

Further reading

• “internal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.