inwendig

Inwendig is a Dutch adjective meaning inside, internal, or inner. It describes something located within the interior of a person, object, or system. The term is often contrasted with uitwendig, meaning external or outer.

In everyday and technical language, inwendig is used across several domains. In anatomy and medicine it refers to internal structures, as in inwendige organen (internal organs). In medical contexts, the corresponding field is commonly termed internal medicine, which in Dutch is inwendige geneeskunde. Beyond bodily use, inwendig can describe internal features or components of a system, such as inwendige kenmerken (intrinsic features) or inwendige onderdelen (inner components).

In addition to physical sense, inwendig can be used metaphorically to denote inner life or private matters. Phrases may refer to an individual’s inwendige wereld (inner world) or inwendige motivatie (intrinsic motivation), with choices of collocation reflecting the formality and domain of discourse.

Notes on usage: inwendige is the more common inflected form for attributive adjectives (e.g., inwendige organen, inwendige kenmerken). The adverbial sense of inwendig (inwardly, inside) is used less frequently and tends to appear in literary or formal registers. The term is primarily a Dutch word; related concepts exist in German (inwendig) and English translations use internal or inner depending on context.

See also: uitwendig, inwendige organen, inwendige geneeskunde, internal medicine, anatomy.