Meanings
plural externalities
- uncountableThe state of being external or externalized.
But according to the theory of the externality of relations, terms acquire from their new relations an added character, which does not either condition, or necessarily alter, the character which they already possess.
1916, Ralph Barton Perry, Present philosophical tendencies, page 319 - countableA thing that is external relative to something else.
- countableeconomicsAn impact, positive or negative, on any party not involved in a given economic transaction or act.
Waste is a negative externality arising from consumption.
2 more examples
"(1) Each agency shall identify in writing the specific market failure (such as externalities, market power, lack of information) or other specific problem that it intends to address (including, where applicable, the failures of public institutions) that warrant new agency action, as well as assess the significance of that problem, to enable assessment of whether any new regulation is warranted."
2007, George W. Bush, Executive Order 13422Pigouvian taxes are meant to internalize ‘externalities’, generally understood to be positive or negative side-effects from economic production that are not reflected in the price of production.
2016, Cinnamon P. Carlarne, Kevin R. Gray, Richard Tarasofsky, editors, The Oxford Handbook of International Climate Change Law, Oxford University Press, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe quality or state of being outside or directed toward or relating to the outside or exterior
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From external + -ity. In the economic sense coined by British economist Alfred Marshall in 1890.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan efecte extern, externalitat
- efecte externimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
- externalitatimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Czech externalita
- externalitaimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Estonian välismõju
- välismõjuimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Finnish ulkopuolisuus, ulkopuolisuus
- ulkopuolisuusstate of being external
- ulkopuolisuusthing that is external relative to something else
- ulkopuolinenthing that is external relative to something else
- ulkoisvaikutusimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
French externalité
- externalitéimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
German externer Effekt, Externalität
- externer Effektimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
- Externalitätimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Romanian externalitate, externalitate
- externalitatestate of being external
- externalitateimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Russian экстерна́лия, вне́шний эффе́кт
- экстерна́лия (eksternálija)impact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
- вне́шний эффе́кт (vnéšnij effékt)impact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Spanish exterioridad, externalidad
- exterioridadstate of being external
- externalidadimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Swedish extern effekt
- extern effektimpact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Ukrainian екстерна́лія, зовнішній ефект
- екстерна́лія (eksternálija)impact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
- зовнішній ефект (zovnišnij efekt)impact on any party not involved in a given economic transaction
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with externality
Cite this entry
externality. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/externality
“externality.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/externality. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “externality,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/externality.
Source: externality on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.