Eternal means lasting forever, without end. External means on or from the outside. Eternal life; external walls. The same letters rearranged, and nothing shared in meaning.
The core difference
- eternal — lasting for ever; unceasing. Eternal love, the eternal city, eternal complaints.
- external — of, on or from the outside. External doors, an external hard drive, external pressures, external examiner.
The tell
Eternal belongs with eternity; external belongs with exterior and extra. The x is the mark of the outside: exit, exterior, external. Drop the x and you are in the realm of forever. The opposites help too: internal for one, temporary or mortal for the other.
In use
- eternal — They swore eternal friendship. The eternal flame still burns.
- external — The external walls need painting. An external audit was ordered.
Common slips
- the eternal walls of the house → the external walls of the house
- the promise of external life → the promise of eternal life
X marks the outside.
Eternal, everlasting, immortal
Eternal has near-neighbours worth separating. Everlasting is the plain English word for the same idea and sounds warmer — everlasting love. Immortal is for living things that never die. Timeless means not tied to any period rather than lasting forever. None of them is ever confused with external; only the spelling is.
Where the words come from
Eternal is from Latin aeternus, "lasting an age", from aevum "age". External is from Latin externus, "outward", from exter "outside", the comparative of ex. The opposite of external is internal; the opposite of eternal is temporary or mortal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the opposite of external?
Internal. The opposite of eternal is temporary, finite or mortal.
Is it "eternal affairs" or "external affairs"?
External affairs — dealings with other countries. Eternal affairs would be ones that never end, which is a joke some people make about them.
What is an external examiner?
An examiner from outside the institution, brought in to check standards.