externalise

Externalise is the British English verb meaning to make something appear outside or to transfer (a function, process, or responsibility) to an external entity. The term is formed from external + -ise and is the counterpart of the American English externalize; the noun form externalisation or externalization exists, referring to the act or result of externalising.

In common usage, to externalise can mean to project a quality, feeling, or problem onto something external rather than dealing with it internally. This sense is used in everyday language and in disciplines such as psychology, where externalization (or externalisation) describes a defense mechanism in which an individual attributes thoughts, impulses, or emotions to an outside person or object. In clinical contexts, externalisation may be discussed alongside projection as a mechanism shaping behavior and perception, and it is distinct from external causes arising from the external environment.

In sociology and organizational studies, externalisation can refer to the outsourcing of activities or functions to external providers, a process often described as outsourcing or offshoring in business practice. In philosophy or literary studies, externalisation can refer to making internal concepts manifest in external forms, such as art or discourse.

In technology, some usage describes data or state being externalised or serialized for storage or transmission, though this sense is more commonly described with terms like serialization or exposure in software engineering.