Externalisations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of expressing or manifesting internal thoughts and feelings into an external form or action
2. The act of making something that is internal become visible or tangible to others, often through communication or behavior
3. A method of conveying personal emotions, ideas, or concepts outwardly, resulting in observable effects on the outside environment

Etymology: "Externalisations" is simply the plural of "externalisation", the British spelling of a noun formed from the verb "externalise", which means to give outward expression or physical form to something internal such as a feeling, thought, or fantasy. The plural form counts separate instances of this process, so a writer might discuss several externalisations of a single anxiety. The noun is built from "external" plus the suffix "-isation", which turns a verb into an action noun, following the pattern of words like "organisation" or "realisation". The base "external" comes from Late Latin "externus", meaning "outward", which itself derives from Latin "exter", "outside". The suffix passes through French "-isation" from Greek "-izein", a verb-forming ending, so the word combines a Latin root for outwardness with a Greek-derived ending.