Pick the formal, academic-sounding, somewhat rare word "extrinsic" when you want to call attention to the external, situational factors that influence people's thoughts, emotions, desires, and behaviors.

Most often, we talk about extrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards: the kind that come from outside of us. These are things like money, prestige, praise, and good grades; you might say that they have extrinsic value, or value outside of the private world of your own mind. (Contrast that with intrinsic motivation, the kind that comes from the inside. You're rewarded and motivated intrinsically by things like enjoyment, happiness, excitement, experiences, creativity, etc., all of which you could say have intrinsic value.)

Occasionally we talk about extrinsic facts, factors, and situations.

And rarely, you might say that something is extrinsic to something else, meaning it's outside of it, perhaps affecting it. "That issue is extrinsic to our study."

"The grade-point average is one of the more destructive elements in American education... People are happiest when motivated intrinsically, but the G.P.A. is the mother of all extrinsic motivations."
— David Brooks, New York Times, 10 May 2016

"For many musicians, the motivation to perform is intrinsic rather than extrinsic. Extrinsically motivated performers are interested in tangible rewards such as money. Intrinsic motivation meanwhile, is present when a musician performs mainly because of a strong inner desire to make music." 
— Michael Bonshor, Salon, 15 January 2023

has this page helped you understand "extrinsic"?

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If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "extrinsic" without saying "outer" or "extraneous."

try it out:

Talk about something you dislike doing: something you're willing to do only because you're extrinsically motivated, or extrinsically rewarded. 

And, to balance that out, also talk about something you enjoy doing for its own sake: something that brings you intrinsic satisfaction.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for August is "Degrees of Venndom."

I'll give you a pair of terms, and you decide how Venn-diagrammable they are. It’s harder than it sounds! To see my suggested answer, scroll all the way down. Your response doesn’t need to match mine; you should just be able to defend yours.

Try this today: At what degree of Venndom do KNOWLEDGE and EDUCATION exist? 

4th degree: these terms never overlap, like DOG and CAT.

3rd degree: these terms are nested, with one term always the other but not vice versa, like KITTEN and CAT.

2nd degree: these terms sometimes overlap, like PET and MAMMAL.

1st degree: these terms always overlap, like CAT and FELINE.

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of EXTRINSIC is

A. EXTRANEOUS: unneeded, extra.
B. TRINKETY: small and decorative.
C. INTRINSIC: naturally belonging; coming from the inside.

2. Extrinsically motivated musicians want _____.

A. money and fame
B. self-expression and emotional catharsis
C. to soothe, excite, and inspire the world

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. A Answer to the game question: I'd say KNOWLEDGE and EDUCATION are at the 2nd degree. You could have one without the other, but you probably have both.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.