Shentong literally means "other-emptiness", "empty" () of "other" (), i.e., empty of all qualities other than its own inherent existent.
According to Pettit, the term "extrinsic emptiness" is also used to refer to "Great Mādhyamaka" (dbu ma chen po), a term which has also been used by Klong chen pa and Mipham to refer to Prasaṅgika Madhyamaka, and Tsongkhapa has also used this term.