internal
internal — adjective
1. located or happening inside a living body; relating to the organs and other stru
located or happening inside a living body; relating to the organs and other structures that are within the body rather than on its surface.
The doctors checked Wei's internal organs after his bicycle accident.
collocation: internal organs
Internal bleeding is often hard to detect without a scan.
collocation: internal bleeding
The injury damaged several internal structures near Nila's spine.
Patients with internal injuries are usually kept in the hospital for observation.
文法句型
internal + noun (body part or medical condition)
用法筆記
Frequently used in medical contexts. This sense is almost always attributive (before a noun). The corresponding antonym is 'external'.
常見錯誤
2. existing or happening in a person's mind, thoughts, or feelings, often not shown
existing or happening in a person's mind, thoughts, or feelings, often not shown to other people.
Ramón was struggling with an internal conflict about moving abroad.
collocation: internal conflict
Theo kept his internal doubts hidden during the team presentation.
collocation: internal doubts
Mateo's internal voice told him to stay calm and listen carefully.
An internal struggle between duty and desire made it hard for Nila to decide.
- inner
more common in everyday speech; less formal
- mental
broader, includes cognitive processes beyond emotions
- psychological
more technical or clinical in tone
文法句型
internal + noun (mental or emotional state)
用法筆記
Often paired with nouns describing conflict or emotion (conflict, struggle, doubt, fear). The noun 'internal' alone is not used for this sense — always modify a noun.
常見錯誤
3. located or happening on the inside of a building, machine, container, or other o
located or happening on the inside of a building, machine, container, or other object; relating to the interior surfaces or parts of something.
The internal walls of the old factory were covered in dust and cobwebs.
collocation: internal walls
Owen opened the laptop and replaced the internal hard drive himself.
collocation: internal hard drive
The building's internal staircase was narrow and poorly lit.
A leak in the internal water pipe caused damage to the ceiling below.
文法句型
internal + noun (part of a building, machine, or container)
用法筆記
When referring to buildings, 'internal' contrasts with 'external' (outside walls, doors). For machines, it contrasts with parts that are on the surface or removable.
常見錯誤
4. restricted to members or staff of one company, institution, or group; not open t
restricted to members or staff of one company, institution, or group; not open to or concerning people from outside.
The company sent an internal memo about changes to the vacation policy.
collocation: internal memo
Lakan requested an internal investigation after the accounting error was discovered.
collocation: internal investigation
The team held an internal meeting before sharing the proposal with the client.
Christopher was promoted through an internal hiring process rather than from outside.
- in-house
more informal; emphasises that a service or team belongs to the organisation
- inside
common in phrases like 'inside job' but less standard as an adjective
- in-company
less common but used in business writing
文法句型
internal + noun (organisational process or communication)
用法筆記
Common in business and administrative contexts. Often paired with nouns for official communications (memo, report, notice) or processes (audit, review, investigation). Distinguish from sense 5 (WITHIN COUNTRY) — this sense applies to organisations, not nations.
5. relating to matters that take place within a single country, rather than involvi
relating to matters that take place within a single country, rather than involving other countries or international relations.
The prime minister focused on internal affairs rather than foreign policy.
collocation: internal affairs
Internal trade between the northern and southern regions has grown steadily.
collocation: internal trade
The government introduced new measures to protect internal security.
Rising food prices became a major internal issue for the ruling party.
- foreign
the standard opposite in political contexts
- international
involving multiple countries
- external
used in diplomatic language for matters outside the country
文法句型
internal + noun (affairs, trade, market, security)
用法筆記
Used primarily in political, economic, and legal discourse. Distinguish from sense 4 (WITHIN ORGANIZATION) — this sense applies to nations, not companies. The most common antonym in this context is 'foreign' or 'international'.
常見錯誤
6. belonging to the essential nature of a thing; coming from within something itsel
belonging to the essential nature of a thing; coming from within something itself rather than being added by outside influences.
The internal logic of the novel makes the ending feel inevitable.
collocation: internal logic
Élise believes that every child has an internal sense of right and wrong.
collocation: internal sense
The software has an internal consistency that users find reliable.
These difficulties are internal to the project and not caused by outside factors.
文法句型
internal + noun (abstract quality)
internal to + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the most formal sense of 'internal', common in academic, philosophical, and analytical writing. It can be used predicatively with 'to' (e.g., 'internal to the system'). The noun it modifies is nearly always abstract.