external
external 30초 만에
- Located on the outside.
- Coming from another organization.
- Used on the skin (medicine).
- Connected to a computer (tech).
The word external is an adjective that primarily refers to something that is situated on, coming from, or relating to the outside of a structure, body, organization, or system. When we discuss external factors, we are looking at influences and forces that exist independently of the internal system being discussed. Understanding the distinction between what is internal and what is external is crucial in fields ranging from biology to business management. In everyday language, external can describe physical surfaces, such as the external walls of a building, or abstract concepts, such as external pressures from society. The concept is deeply embedded in how we analyze problems, often requiring us to look beyond our immediate environment to understand the broader context. For instance, an external hard drive is a device that stores data outside of a computer's main internal storage, providing portability and backup capabilities. Similarly, external affairs refer to a country's relationships with other nations, as opposed to its domestic issues. The term emphasizes a boundary between the inside and the outside, highlighting the interactions that occur across this boundary. Whether it is external stimuli affecting a living organism or external auditors reviewing a company's financial records, the word consistently points to an origin or location outside the primary subject of interest. By recognizing external elements, we can better prepare for and respond to variables that are beyond our direct control.
- Physical Context
- Relating to the outer surface or structure of an object or body.
- Business Context
- Involving entities or factors outside a specific organization or company.
- Abstract Context
- Referring to influences, pressures, or forces originating from outside a system.
The building's external walls were painted a bright, welcoming shade of blue.
The company hired an external consultant to provide an objective review of their processes.
Plants respond to various external stimuli, such as light and temperature changes.
You should back up your important files on an external hard drive to prevent data loss.
The medication is for external use only and should not be ingested under any circumstances.
Using the word external correctly involves understanding its role as an adjective modifying nouns that represent systems, structures, or organizations. It is commonly paired with words like factors, forces, environment, and influences. When you want to describe a situation where an outside element is affecting a core subject, external is the precise word to use. For example, in academic writing, you might discuss the external validity of a study, which refers to how well the results can be generalized to other situations outside the experimental setting. In corporate environments, you will frequently hear about external stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, and investors, who are outside the company but are affected by its actions. It is important to note that external is rarely used as a verb, despite occasional confusion; the verb form is externalize, which means to express internal thoughts or feelings outwardly. When structuring sentences, external typically precedes the noun it modifies. However, it can also be used as a subject complement after linking verbs, as in 'The reasons for the failure were entirely external.' Mastery of this word allows for more precise communication, especially in professional, scientific, and technical contexts where distinguishing between internal and external variables is critical for clarity and accuracy. Furthermore, understanding the collocations of external will significantly enhance your fluency and make your English sound more natural to native speakers.
- Modifying Nouns
- Place external directly before the noun (e.g., external pressure).
- Subject Complement
- Use after a linking verb (e.g., The threat is external).
- Contrasting
- Often used in direct contrast with internal to highlight differences.
The project failed due to external factors beyond our control.
We need to assess the external environment before launching the new product.
The external appearance of the house was deceivingly modest.
She struggled to cope with the external pressures of her demanding job.
The external auditor found several discrepancies in the financial reports.
The word external is ubiquitous across various domains, making it a highly versatile and essential vocabulary item for B2 level learners and beyond. In the realm of technology and computing, it is frequently encountered in terms like external hard drive, external monitor, or external battery, referring to peripheral devices that connect to a main system. In business and economics, external is a cornerstone concept; professionals constantly analyze external markets, external debt, and external stakeholders to make informed strategic decisions. The medical and biological sciences also rely heavily on this term. You will see labels on ointments and creams stating for external use only, warning against ingestion. Biologists study external anatomy and how organisms react to external stimuli in their habitats. Furthermore, in politics and international relations, the term external affairs is used to describe a government's foreign policy and interactions with other sovereign states. Even in everyday psychology and self-help contexts, people discuss the need to avoid relying solely on external validation, emphasizing the importance of internal self-worth. Because it applies to so many different fields, mastering the word external provides a significant boost to your reading comprehension and listening skills, allowing you to engage with news articles, scientific reports, business meetings, and technical manuals with much greater confidence and accuracy.
- Technology
- Used to describe peripheral hardware devices.
- Medicine
- Indicates topical treatments applied to the skin.
- Business
- Refers to outside market forces and independent auditors.
Please connect the external monitor to your laptop using the HDMI cable.
The country's external debt has reached an unprecedented level this year.
He sought external validation rather than trusting his own instincts.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement regarding the treaty.
This lotion is intended for external application to soothe dry skin.
When learning the word external, students often make a few predictable errors that can hinder clear communication. One of the most common mistakes is confusing the adjective external with its related verb form, externalize. A learner might incorrectly say, 'We need to external the problem,' instead of the correct phrasing, 'We need to externalize the problem' or 'We need to look at the external problem.' Another frequent error involves prepositions. Students sometimes say 'external of' instead of simply using external as an adjective before the noun, or using 'external to' when functioning as a complement. For example, saying 'The forces external of the company' is awkward; it is much better to say 'The forces external to the company' or simply 'The external forces.' Additionally, learners sometimes confuse external with words like exterior or outer. While they are synonyms, they are not always interchangeable. Exterior is often used specifically for the physical outside of a building or object (e.g., the exterior of the car), whereas external is broader and frequently applies to abstract concepts (e.g., external influences). Finally, pronunciation can be a stumbling block. The stress must be placed on the second syllable (ex-TER-nal), not the first. Misplacing the stress can make the word difficult for native speakers to understand in fast-paced conversation. By being aware of these common pitfalls, learners can refine their usage and sound much more proficient.
- Part of Speech
- Using external as a verb instead of an adjective.
- Preposition Usage
- Incorrectly pairing external with the preposition 'of'.
- Synonym Confusion
- Using exterior when referring to abstract concepts instead of external.
Incorrect: We must external the data. Correct: We must externalize the data.
Incorrect: The forces external of us. Correct: The forces external to us.
Incorrect: The exterior factors caused it. Correct: The external factors caused it.
Incorrect: He is an exterior auditor. Correct: He is an external auditor.
Incorrect: For outside use only. Correct: For external use only.
Expanding your vocabulary involves not just learning a single word, but understanding its relationship to similar words. For external, there are several synonyms that carry slightly different nuances. Outer is a common synonym, but it is generally used for physical layers, such as an outer garment or the outer atmosphere. Exterior is another closely related word, primarily used as a noun or adjective to describe the physical outside of a structure, like the exterior of a house. Foreign is used when the external element originates from a different country or is entirely unfamiliar to a specific environment, such as foreign policy or a foreign object in the eye. Peripheral refers to things that are on the edge or margin of a system, often implying they are less important than the core elements, like peripheral vision or peripheral devices. Extrinsic is a more formal or academic synonym, often used in psychology or biology to describe factors that are not inherent to the subject, such as extrinsic motivation (motivation driven by external rewards). Understanding these subtle differences allows you to choose the most precise word for your specific context. While external is a fantastic, versatile word, knowing when to use exterior for a building, outer for a layer, or extrinsic for motivation will elevate your English from intermediate to advanced, demonstrating a sophisticated grasp of nuance and context.
- Outer
- Best used for physical layers or boundaries.
- Exterior
- Best used for the physical outside surfaces of buildings or objects.
- Extrinsic
- Best used in academic contexts to describe non-inherent factors.
The outer layer of the cake was covered in thick chocolate frosting.
The exterior of the museum features stunning modern architecture.
The company relies heavily on extrinsic rewards like bonuses to motivate staff.
A foreign object was found in the machinery, causing it to jam.
The printer is considered a peripheral device to the main computer system.
How Formal Is It?
난이도
알아야 할 문법
Adjective order: 'external' usually comes immediately before the noun it modifies (e.g., 'large external drive', not 'external large drive').
Prefixes: Understanding the prefix 'ex-' (out) helps decode similar words like 'exclude' or 'extract'.
Contrasting pairs: Often used in parallel structures with 'internal' (e.g., 'both internal and external factors').
Prepositions: When used as a complement, it is often followed by 'to' (e.g., 'factors external to the organization').
Word formation: Adding '-ize' turns it into a verb ('externalize'), and adding '-ly' makes it an adverb ('externally').
수준별 예문
The external door is green.
The outside door
Adjective before a noun.
This cream is for external use.
Use on the outside of the body
Common phrase on medicine.
The external wall is very cold.
The outside wall
Adjective modifying wall.
Look at the external part of the box.
The outside part
Describing a physical object.
The external lights are on.
The outside lights
Adjective modifying lights.
We need an external battery.
A battery on the outside
Common technology phrase.
The external temperature is low.
The temperature outside
Describing weather.
Clean the external surface.
The outside surface
Adjective modifying surface.
I bought an external hard drive for my computer.
A separate storage device
Tech vocabulary.
The external appearance of the car is nice.
How the car looks on the outside
Describing looks.
They are taking an external exam today.
An exam from outside the school
Education context.
The external noise kept me awake.
Noise from outside
Describing environment.
We have external speakers for the TV.
Speakers outside the TV
Tech vocabulary.
The medicine is for external application only.
Put it on the skin only
Medical instruction.
The external damage to the house was bad.
Damage on the outside
Describing physical state.
He is an external student at the university.
A student who studies from outside
Education context.
The company is facing many external pressures this year.
Pressures from outside the company
Abstract noun modification.
External factors caused the project to be delayed.
Outside reasons
Common collocation.
We need to hire an external consultant for advice.
An advisor from outside
Business context.
The external environment is changing very quickly.
The situation outside
Business/Science context.
They receive external funding for their research.
Money from outside organizations
Academic context.
The external walls provide good insulation against the cold.
The outer walls
Physical description.
She tries not to worry about external opinions.
What other people think
Psychological context.
The country's external debt is growing rapidly.
Money owed to other countries
Economic context.
The external auditor will review our financial records next week.
An independent reviewer
Professional business term.
External stakeholders must be informed of the policy changes.
People outside the company who are affected
Corporate vocabulary.
The success of the business depends heavily on external market forces.
Economic influences outside the company's control
Economic concept.
He relies too much on external validation to feel good about himself.
Approval from other people
Psychological concept.
The external affairs minister traveled to sign the new treaty.
The minister in charge of foreign relations
Political context.
We must assess the external threats to our cybersecurity system.
Dangers coming from outside the network
Technology security.
The external validity of the experiment has been questioned by peers.
How well the results apply to the real world
Academic research term.
External stimuli can trigger a strong emotional response in patients.
Outside events that cause a reaction
Medical/Psychological term.
The theory fails to account for exogenous external variables that skew the data.
Outside variables originating externally
Advanced academic phrasing.
The corporation's strategy was entirely reactive to external market volatility.
Unpredictable outside market changes
Advanced business analysis.
They established an external locus of control, blaming fate for their failures.
Belief that outside forces control life
Psychology terminology.
The externalization of environmental costs is a major flaw in current economic models.
Pushing costs onto outside parties
Advanced economic concept.
The treaty infringes upon the external sovereignty of the participating nations.
Independence from outside control
Political science terminology.
Her motivation was purely extrinsic, driven by external rewards rather than passion.
Outside rewards
Nuanced synonym usage.
The architecture seamlessly blends the internal living spaces with the external environment.
The outside surroundings
Advanced descriptive language.
The audit revealed a systemic failure to monitor external compliance risks.
Risks related to outside regulations
Corporate governance terminology.
Philosophers have long debated the epistemological certainty of the external world.
The reality outside our minds
Philosophical discourse.
The narrative explores the dichotomy between internal psychological trauma and external societal decay.
Outside societal collapse
Literary analysis.
The organism's morphology is highly adapted to withstand extreme external desiccation.
Outside drying forces
Advanced biological terminology.
Macroeconomic policy must navigate the treacherous waters of external macroeconomic shocks.
Sudden outside economic events
Advanced economic theory.
The legal framework provides no recourse for damages caused by strictly external force majeure events.
Unforeseeable outside circumstances
Legal terminology.
His critique centers on the external constraints imposed by the prevailing ideological hegemony.
Outside limitations
Sociological critique.
The algorithm's predictive power diminishes rapidly when introduced to novel external datasets.
New outside information
Computer science terminology.
The symphony's chaotic climax mirrors the protagonist's struggle against overwhelming external forces.
Powerful outside pressures
Artistic interpretation.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
자주 혼동되는 단어
관용어 및 표현
혼동하기 쉬운
문장 패턴
사용법
Implies a clear boundary between the inside and the outside of the subject being discussed.
Appropriate for all registers, but highly frequent in formal, academic, and business contexts.
Universally understood in all varieties of English with no significant regional differences in meaning.
- Using 'external' as a verb instead of 'externalize'.
- Confusing 'external' with 'exterior' when talking about buildings.
- Misplacing the stress on the first syllable instead of the second.
- Using 'external of' instead of 'external to'.
- Forgetting that 'external' is an adjective and trying to use it as an adverb (use 'externally' instead).
팁
Adjective Placement
Always place 'external' directly before the noun it modifies. For example, say 'external forces', not 'forces external'. It can also be used after a linking verb, like 'The problem is external'.
Learn the Antonym
Always learn 'external' and 'internal' together. They are a perfect pair. Using them together in a sentence shows advanced language control.
Stress the Second Syllable
Remember to say ex-TER-nal. If you stress the first syllable, it might sound confusing. Practice saying it out loud several times.
Use in Meetings
Use the phrase 'external factors' in business meetings to sound professional. It shows you are thinking about the big picture outside the company. It is a great B2/C1 level phrase.
Tech Vocabulary
If you work with computers, 'external hard drive' and 'external monitor' are essential terms. They refer to anything you plug into the main machine. It is everyday office vocabulary.
Safety Warning
Pay close attention to 'for external use only' on medicines. This is a crucial safety phrase. It means the product is strictly for the skin.
Academic Writing
In essays, use 'external' instead of 'outside' to elevate your academic tone. For example, 'external influences' sounds much better than 'outside influences'. It boosts your vocabulary score.
Not a Verb
Never say 'I will external the problem'. The verb is 'externalize'. Keep 'external' strictly as an adjective. This is a very common learner mistake.
Memorize Chunks
Don't just learn the word; learn the chunks. Memorize 'external environment', 'external pressures', and 'external debt'. This will make you speak much faster.
Exterior vs External
Use 'exterior' for buildings and cars. Use 'external' for abstract ideas like forces, factors, and pressures. This subtle difference makes you sound like a native speaker.
암기하기
기억법
EXternal means EXit the internal. It is on the outside.
어원
Late 15th century
문화적 맥락
Hiring external auditors is a legal requirement for public companies in many countries to ensure transparency.
The warning 'for external use only' is strictly regulated by health authorities worldwide to prevent poisoning.
The reliance on external storage has shifted slightly with the advent of cloud computing, but external drives remain crucial for secure, offline backups.
실생활에서 연습하기
실제 사용 상황
대화 시작하기
"What external factors do you think are affecting the economy right now?"
"Do you prefer saving files on the cloud or on an external hard drive?"
"How much do external opinions influence your personal decisions?"
"Have you ever had to use a medication that was for external use only?"
"Why do companies often hire external consultants instead of using their own staff?"
일기 주제
Describe a time when an external event completely changed your plans for the day.
How do you balance your internal desires with external pressures from society?
Write about the importance of external validation in the age of social media.
List three external factors that you believe contribute to a successful career.
Reflect on a situation where an external perspective helped you solve a problem.
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문No, external is an adjective. If you need a verb, you should use externalize. For example, 'He needs to externalize his feelings.' Using external as a verb is grammatically incorrect. Always use it to describe a noun. It shows that something is on the outside.
Exterior is mostly used for the physical outside of things, like a building or a car. External is used for both physical things and abstract ideas. For example, you say 'external factors' but not 'exterior factors'. You would say 'the exterior of the house'. Both mean outside, but external is broader.
This is a medical warning found on creams, ointments, and lotions. It means the medicine should only be put on your skin. You must never swallow it or put it in your eyes or mouth. It is dangerous if taken internally. Always read this label carefully.
It is pronounced ik-STUR-nl. The stress is on the second syllable, 'STUR'. The first syllable sounds like 'ik' or 'ek'. Make sure not to stress the first syllable. Proper stress helps native speakers understand you better.
External factors are things outside a company that affect its success. This includes the economy, competitors, new laws, and customer trends. A company cannot control these factors directly. They must adapt their internal strategy to survive external factors. It is a key concept in business planning.
It is a device used to store computer data. Unlike the internal hard drive inside your computer, it sits on your desk and plugs in via a cable. It is used for backing up files or moving large amounts of data. It is portable and convenient. It is a very common technology term.
The direct opposite of external is internal. Internal means inside a system, body, or organization. For example, internal organs are inside your body, while your skin is external. You will often see these two words used together to contrast ideas.
It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it is very common in formal, academic, and business English. In casual speech, people might just say 'outside'. However, saying 'external hard drive' is normal in casual speech. It is a versatile word you should know.
It means seeking approval or praise from other people. Instead of feeling good about yourself (internal validation), you need others to tell you that you are good. Psychologists often say relying too much on external validation is unhealthy. It is a common phrase in self-help discussions.
Usually, no. You wouldn't call a person 'external'. However, you can call their role external, such as an 'external auditor' or 'external consultant'. This means they work for a different company and are coming in to help or check your company. The person themselves isn't external, their relationship to the company is.
셀프 테스트 180 질문
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
External always refers to things on the outside or coming from the outside, whether it is the physical outside of an object or outside influences affecting a situation.
- Located on the outside.
- Coming from another organization.
- Used on the skin (medicine).
- Connected to a computer (tech).
Adjective Placement
Always place 'external' directly before the noun it modifies. For example, say 'external forces', not 'forces external'. It can also be used after a linking verb, like 'The problem is external'.
Learn the Antonym
Always learn 'external' and 'internal' together. They are a perfect pair. Using them together in a sentence shows advanced language control.
Stress the Second Syllable
Remember to say ex-TER-nal. If you stress the first syllable, it might sound confusing. Practice saying it out loud several times.
Use in Meetings
Use the phrase 'external factors' in business meetings to sound professional. It shows you are thinking about the big picture outside the company. It is a great B2/C1 level phrase.
예시
The external walls of the building are covered in ivy.
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