Internal and eternal are two words that are close in pronunciation and spelling and are sometimes confused. We will examine the definitions of internal and eternal, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Internal refers to something located on the inside of something, including a building, an organization or even the human body. Internal may also describe a thought or feeling that is experienced inside one’s mind and is unexpressed externally. Internal may also be a description of something that is intrinsic. Internal is an adjective, related words are internally, internality. The word internal is derived from the Latin word internus which means inward or within.
Eternal refers to something that is forever, something that never ends, something that will exist forever. Eternal is often used to describe a truth that is valid for all time. Eternal is also used in reference to the Supreme Being. Eternal is an adjective, related words are eternally and eternalness. The word eternal is derived from the Latin word aeternalis, meaning permanent or enduring.
Examples
In response to recent controversies within the Nebraska State Patrol, Gov. Pete Ricketts’ administration will go to the Legislature in 2018 seeking to change the agency’s internal affairs investigative processes. (The Omaha World-Herald)
When we look back years from now, we may remember 2017 as the year that Europe got really serious about killing the internal combustion engine. (Forbes Magazine)
In the days since President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a variety of politicians, pundits, and preachers have declaimed the Bible as proof that Jerusalem is indeed, in a phrase often repeated, Israel’s “eternal and undivided capital.” (The Scranton Times-Tribune)
“I’m an eternal optimist, I always see the glass half full,” Diodati said in a year end interview with Niagara this Week. (Niagara This WEek)