Internalness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of being situated within or inside something; the condition of existing or occurring within an entity or system; the characteristic of being inwardly focused or belonging internally rather than externally
2. The property of residing inside a structure or organism; the status of operating or functioning inside a boundary; the attribute of being confined to an interior space or inner aspect
3. The condition of being inward or inside an object or concept; the quality of belonging to the inner parts rather than the outer; a measure of inwardness or intrinsic presence within a whole

Etymology: "Internalness" is a plain formation: the adjective "internal" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for the state or quality it describes. "Internal" itself comes from Late Latin "internus," meaning inward or interior, so the new noun simply names the condition of being inside something. The suffix "-ness" is an old native English one, and it has been attached to countless adjectives over the centuries to make abstract nouns like "kindness" or "darkness." Because the word is built transparently, its meaning needs little explanation: it refers to the quality of being internal, whether that describes a physical interior, an inner nature, or a matter kept within a system or organization. It is a fairly uncommon word, most often found in technical or philosophical writing where a precise term for inwardness is wanted.

Synonyms: interiority, inside nature, inwardness, introversion, inherence

Antonyms: externality, outside, exteriority, outwardness