Meaning & use

exogenous

adjective·Advanced

Caused by or originating from factors outside the body, system, or organism.

See it in a sentence

Doctors ruled out an exogenous cause, such as a virus, for his symptoms.

Economists studied how exogenous shocks, like oil prices, affect national growth.

A note on using this word

Common in biology and economics; its opposite, 'endogenous', describes causes arising from within.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

endogenousinternal

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