foreign affairs
Primarily used in compound nouns such as 外務省 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and 外務大臣 (Minister for Foreign Affairs); rarely used as a standalone noun.
彼は外務省に勤めている。
He works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
外務大臣が記者会見を開いた。
The Minister for Foreign Affairs held a press conference.
内務 refers to domestic/internal affairs, in contrast to 外務 which refers to foreign affairs.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; foreign ministry
canvasser; outside salesperson
deputy foreign minister
Compound of 外 (outside, foreign) and 務 (duty, affairs). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys 'foreign affairs'.