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External vs Ostensible - What's the difference?

external | ostensible | Related terms |

External is a related term of ostensible.


As adjectives the difference between external and ostensible

is that external is outside of something; on the exterior while ostensible is apparent, evident; meant for open display.

external

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Outside of something; on the exterior.
  • This building has some external pipework.
  • * Milton
  • Of all external things, / She [Fancy] forms imaginations, aery shapes.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Her virtues graced with external gifts.
  • Not intrinsic nor essential; accidental; accompanying; superficial.
  • * Trench
  • The external circumstances are greatly different.
  • Foreign; relating to or connected with foreign nations.
  • external''' trade or commerce; the '''external relations of a state or kingdom
  • (anatomy) Away from the mesial plane of the body; lateral.
  • Antonyms

    * internal

    ostensible

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Apparent, evident; meant for open display.
  • * 1956–1960 , (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 32:
  • Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one.
  • * '>citation
  • In witch-trials the conflict was officially defined as between the accused and God, or between the accused and the Catholic (later Protestant) church, as God's earthly representative. [...]
    Behind the ostensible conflict of the witch-trial lay the usual conflicts of social class, values, and human relationships.
  • Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).
  • The ostensible reason for his visit to New York was to see his mother, but the real reason was to get to the Yankees game the next day.

    Derived terms

    * ostensibly

    Antonyms

    * (meant for open display)

    References

    * ----