external cause; external origin; exogenous cause
Used in medical, scientific, or analytical contexts to refer to a cause or factor originating from outside a system, organism, or situation. Often contrasted with 内因 (internal cause).
この病気の外因はまだ特定されていない。
The external cause of this disease has not yet been identified.
外因と内
It is necessary to consider both external and internal causes.
exogenous; extrinsic
death by external cause; violent death; exogenous death
environmental loss time; external loss time
Compound of 外 (outside, external) and 因 (cause, factor). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for technical terms.