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• inter
  inter

  verb (used with object)

  to place (a dead body) in a grave or tomb; bury.
• inter-
  inter-

  a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” (intercept; interest ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (intercom; interdepartmental ).
• inter.
  inter.

  abbreviation

  intermediate.
• inter–
  inter–

  A prefix meaning “between” or “among,” as in interplanetary, located between planets.

inter

¹ American  

[in-tur] / ɪnˈtɜr /

verb (used with object)

inters, present (3rd person singular) interred, past participle, past interring present participle

1. to place (a dead body) in a grave or tomb; bury.

2. to place (a cremation urn) in an aboveground niche or in a grave or tomb.

   Her ashes were interred at the crematorium.

3. to put into the earth.

4. to forget or remove from consideration; abandon.

   Your dreams may be interred by social expectations and the demands of maturity.

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inter- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” (intercept; interest ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (intercom; interdepartmental ).

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inter. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. intermediate.

2. interrogation.

3. interrogative.

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inter. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. intermediate

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inter ² British  

/ ɪnˈtɜː /

verb

1. (tr) to place (a body) in the earth; bury, esp with funeral rites

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inter- ³ British  

prefix

1. between or among

   international

2. together, mutually, or reciprocally

   interdependent

   interchange

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inter– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “between” or “among,” as in interplanetary, located between planets.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• interring
  present
• interred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• inter
  simple
• inters
  simple
• have interred
  perfect
• has interred
  perfect
• am interring
  progressive
• are interring
  progressive
• is interring
  progressive
• have been interring
  perfect progressive
• has been interring
  perfect progressive

Past

• interred
  simple
• had interred
  perfect
• was interring
  progressive
• were interring
  progressive
• had been interring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will inter
  simple
• will have interred
  perfect
• will be interring
  progressive
• will have been interring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of inter¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English enteren, from Middle French enterrer, probably from unattested Vulgar Latin interrāre, derivative of terra “earth”; see in- ²

Origin of inter-²

Middle English < Latin (in some words replacing Middle English entre- < Middle French < Latin inter- ), combining form of inter (preposition and adv.); see interior

Compare meaning

How does inter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inter vs. intrapersonal

Explanation

Inter means to bury, usually in a tomb or grave. If you loved your cat a lot, you might want to inter her remains in the back yard and make a nice little memorial. Most of the time, the word inter is going to be about burying someone or something. Often times, a family owns a plot of land in a cemetery where all family members are interred when they die. Occasionally, you might see it in the phrase "inter alia," a literary Latin expression meaning "among other things." Your professor is probably a poet and a scholar, inter alia.

Example Sentences

These early inter- and intraregional exchanges were made possible by pack animals like mules, horses, and donkeys, but trade was limited because these animals were biologically ill-suited for the extremes of the Saharan environment.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

This finding echoes existing research suggesting reciprocal processes between stigma at inter- and intra-personal levels and policies.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2022

Or is it even about the work — is her success just an excuse for inter- and intra-generational squabbling?

From New York Times • May 15, 2020

Jordan Hicks has had an inter- ception in two consecutive games.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2016

I felt as if I had been beamed from earth onto an inter- galactic space station.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd