external countries

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "external countries" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to nations that are outside of a specific country or region, often in discussions about international relations or trade. Example: "The government is focusing on strengthening trade agreements with external countries to boost the economy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"We say that Iraq is an open area for anyone, and that there are groups of Al Qaeda organization and there are other groups working for external countries' agendas, Arab and non-Arab," he said.

The New York Times

Townshend said China had good historical reasons to be concerned about "more powerful external countries ganging up on it and telling it what it is entitled to do and not do".

The Guardian

Russia and the United States were the external countries that became the most involved in the Ukrainian crisis according to our analysis.

EPJ Data Science

Trade within the European Union member countries and with external countries offers to states a chance to prepare for multilateral and bilateral negotiations within the common commercial policy and to evaluate the progress of the common market and the integration of European economies.

European Transport Research Review

Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights asserts similar privacy limitations to the ECPA and limits the processing and sharing of personal data both within the EU and with external countries.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The regional review team's work included: briefing sessions with the external country reviewers; semi-structured interviews and group discussions with regional level experts; field visits, interviews and discussions with UNICEF staff, national government officers and a range of project partners in Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam; and review of relevant documents.

Unicef

Hence, to withstand external shocks, countries should pay attention to the role of cultural similarities in housing price interdependence.

Frontiers of Business Research in China

Humanitarian agencies internal and external to countries must consider the use of RHIS data in their health and disaster assessment.

Health Policy and Planning

We focus on how subsidiary autonomy and changing opportunities to access external (host country) sources of capability contribute to the accumulation of specialist capabilities in five Taiwan-based MNE subsidiaries in the semiconductor industry.

Research Policy

Regression analysis in table 3 was carried out by linear regression for interval-level or ratio-level dependent variables using simultaneous entry in hierarchical blocks of individual demographic variables, individual behavioural variables, plus external source country-level variables.

BMJ Open

This allow us to provide new insights on the internal (in-country) and external (out-of-country) effects of both Research and Development (R&D) subsidies and fiscal incentives.

Research Policy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing international relations or trade, use "external countries" to specifically denote nations outside a defined region or political entity to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Ensure you're not using "external countries" when you actually mean "internal" or domestic entities. The prefix 'ex-' implies 'outside', while 'in-' denotes 'within'. Using the wrong term can drastically alter the meaning of your sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "external countries" functions primarily as an adjective-noun combination, where "external" modifies "countries". This identifies countries that are not part of a particular group, region, or nation. Ludwig examples confirm usage in contexts involving international relations, trade, and policy.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "external countries" is a grammatically correct and usable term in English, primarily employed to refer to nations outside a specific region or entity. Ludwig AI confirms the term's validity. Although relatively rare, the phrase appears in diverse contexts, including news, science, and formal business settings. While alternatives like "foreign nations" or "overseas countries" exist, "external countries" serves to specifically differentiate nations based on their relationships to a particular entity. Writers should ensure they're not confusing it with "internal" and correctly using it in contexts that require distinction between different countries.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

foreign nations

Uses a more common and direct term for countries that are not one's own.

overseas countries

Emphasizes the geographical distance of these countries.

countries overseas

Reverses the order of the original phrase while retaining the core meaning.

international countries

Highlights the global context and interconnectedness of these countries.

countries abroad

Simple and direct way to refer to countries located outside of one's own.

nations abroad

Combines a synonym for "countries" with a term indicating foreign locations.

non-domestic countries

Focuses on the distinction from the home country.

third-party countries

Often used in a business or political context to denote neutral or uninvolved nations.

countries beyond borders

Emphasizes the crossing of geographical boundaries.

international community

Refers to a broad group of countries interacting on a global level.

FAQs

What does "external countries" mean?

The term "external countries" refers to countries that are outside a specific region, organization, or nation being discussed. It emphasizes their position as entities separate from the primary focus.

How can I use "external countries" in a sentence?

You might use "external countries" when discussing trade agreements, geopolitical strategies, or the influence of foreign policies. For example: "The economic forecast depends heavily on trade relations with external countries."

What are some alternatives to "external countries"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "foreign nations", "overseas countries", or "international countries" to convey a similar meaning.

Is "external countries" formal or informal language?

"External countries" is generally considered neutral to formal language, suitable for academic, business, and news contexts. However, simpler terms like "foreign countries" might be preferred in informal settings.