intramural

American  

[in-truh-myoor-uhl] / ˌɪn trəˈmjʊər əl /

adjective

1. involving only students at the same school or college.

   intramural athletics.

2. within the walls, boundaries, or enclosing units, as of a city, institution, or building.

3. Anatomy. being within the substance of a wall, as of an organ.

4. involving or understood only by members of a single group, profession, etc..

   an intramural medical conference.

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intramural British  

/ ˌɪntrəˈmjʊərəl /

adjective

1. education operating within or involving those in a single establishment

2. anatomy within the walls of a cavity or hollow organ

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Other Word Forms

• intramurally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of intramural

First recorded in 1840–50; intra- + mural

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Explanation

Something that's intramural takes place within a single institution or community. Your local recreational center might offer intramural table tennis to its members. First used in the mid-19th century, the adjective intramural comes from the prefix intra, meaning "within," and the Latin word murus, meaning "walls." It describes an activity that is done within the boundaries — the walls — of an organization or community. You might be familiar with intramural sports leagues that are intended for recreation and fun. They're often offered though a school or community group and are typically open for any member to join.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intramural

Maybe so, and the Tom Brady depicted here surely possesses some of that, demonstrated by an anecdote about him setting a bone-crushing pick in an intramural basketball game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Walter went to Creighton University , where he studied accounting and business while playing intramural sports and participating in the philosophy society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

It’s a “three-ring circus”: the merits docket, the shadow docket, and the justices’ increasingly public intramural snipings and gripes.

From Slate ● May 30, 2026

If someone needs a receiver for intramural football, he can be the ringer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

Symptoms were feigned, and our mothers wrote notes excusing our absences on the day of the intramural softball tournament.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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Related Words

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