Eksterne

Eksterne is a Norwegian term meaning external or outside, used mainly as an adjective to describe elements, factors, or entities that lie outside a defined boundary such as a system, organization, or object. It is commonly used in contrast to interne to distinguish what is outside from what is inside. The form eksterne is the plural form used to modify plural nouns (for example, eksterne faktorer, eksterne lenker).

The word appears in many domains. In computing and information technology, eksterne harddisker refer to external hard drives, while eksterne lenker denote hyperlinks that lead to pages outside a given site. In physics and engineering, eksterne krefter means forces acting on a body from outside it. In management, economics, and organizational studies, eksterne faktorer or eksterne forhold describe conditions outside the organization that can influence strategy or performance. In medicine and biology, external risks or causes may be discussed in terms of eksterne kilder of illness or injury, contrasted with internal factors.

Etymology traces eksterne to the Latin externus, passing through Germanic linguistic lines such as Danish and Norwegian usage. The term is standard in Bokmål and, to varying degrees, in Nynorsk as well, and remains a common way to categorize elements outside a defined system or boundary.