(used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits).
walking in the park.
(used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial).
in politics; in the autumn.
(used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time).
in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.
(used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.).
to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.
(used to indicate means).
sketched in ink; spoken in French.
(used to indicate motion or direction from outside to a point within) into.
Let's go in the house.
(used to indicate transition from one state to another).
to break in half.
(used to indicate object or purpose).
speaking in honor of the event.
in or into some place, position, state, relation, etc..
Please come in.
on the inside; within.
in one's house or office.
in office or power.
in possession or occupancy.
having the turn to play, as in a game.
Baseball. (of an infielder or outfielder) in a position closer to home plate than usual; short.
The third baseman played in, expecting a bunt.
on good terms; in favor.
He's in with his boss, but he doubts it will last.
Informal. in vogue; in style.
He says straw hats will be in this year.
in season.
Watermelons will soon be in.
located or situated within; inner; internal.
the in part of a mechanism.
Informal.
in favor with stylish or trendy people; currently popular: the in thing to do.
the in place to dine;
the in thing to do.
keeping up with the latest trends and fashions.
the in clique at school.
Informal. comprehensible only to a special or ultrasophisticated group.
an in joke.
well-liked; included in a favored group.
inward; incoming; inbound.
an in train.
plentiful; available.
being in power, authority, control, etc..
a member of the in party.
Golf. of or relating to the playing of the last nine holes of an eighteen-hole golf course (opposed to out).
His in score on the second round was 34.
Usually ins persons in office or political power (distinguished from outs).
a member of the political party in power.
The election made him an in.
pull or influence; a social advantage or connection.
He's got an in with the senator.
(in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) a return or service that lands within the in-bounds limits of a court or section of a court (opposed to out).
be in for, to be bound to undergo something, especially a disagreeable experience.
We are in for a long speech.
in for it, about to suffer chastisement or unpleasant consequences, especially of one's own actions or omissions: Also for it.
I forgot our anniversary again, and I'll be in for it now.
in with, on friendly terms with; familiar or associating with.
They are in with all the important people.
in that, because; inasmuch as.
In that you won't have time for supper, let me give you something now.
in; into; towards; within; on
infiltrate
immigrate
having an intensive or causative function
inflame
imperil
inside; within
no smoking in the auditorium
at a place where there is
lying in the shade
walking in the rain
indicating a state, situation, or condition
in a deep sleep
standing in silence
before or when (a period of time) has elapsed
come back in one year
using (a language, etc) as a means of communication
written in code
concerned or involved with, esp as an occupation
in journalism
expressing a ratio, proportion, or probability
one in five boys
while or by performing the action of; as a consequence of or by means of
in crossing the street he was run over
used to indicate goal or purpose
in honour of the president
(used of certain animals) about to give birth to; pregnant with (specified offspring)
in foal
in calf
a variant of into
she fell in the water
he tore the paper in two
(often foll by an infinitive) to have the ability (to do something)
informal joining in; taking part
(conjunction) because or to the extent that; inasmuch as
I regret my remark in that it upset you
no difference or interval between two things
in or into a particular place; inward or indoors
come in
bring him in
so as to achieve office, power, or authority
the Conservatives got in at the last election
so as to enclose
block in
cover in a hole
(in certain games) so as to take one's turn or one's team's turn at a certain aspect of the play; taking one's innings
you have to get the other side out before you go in
(of a fire) alight
do you keep the fire in all night?
(in combination) indicating an activity or gathering, esp one organized to protest against something
teach-in
work-in
present at (the beginning, end, etc)
between
about to be affected by (something, esp something unpleasant)
you're in for a shock
acquainted with or sharing in
I was in on all his plans
associated with; friendly with; regarded highly by
informal to wish or intend harm towards
(stressed) fashionable; modish
the in thing to do
competing
you've got to be in to win
indicating a neutral organic compound, including proteins, glucosides, and glycerides
insulin
digitoxin
tripalmitin
indicating an enzyme in certain nonsystematic names
pepsin
indicating a pharmaceutical substance
penicillin
riboflavin
aspirin
indicating a chemical substance in certain nonsystematic names
coumarin
The prefixes in- and un- may both have, among other uses, a negative force. In- is the form derived from Latin, and is therefore used in learned words or in words derived from Latin or (rarely) Greek: inaccessible, inaccuracy, inadequate, etc. Un- is the native form going back to Old English, used in words of native origin, and sometimes used in combination with words of other origins if these words are in common use: unloving, ungodly, unfeeling, unnecessary, unsafe.
First recorded before 900; 1925–30 in for def. 29; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German, Dutch, Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Gothic in, Old Norse ī, Latin in, Greek en, Lithuanian į
Middle English, Old English; see in
From Latin, combining form of in (preposition); cognate with in
< Latin; akin to an- 1, a- 6, un- 1
Middle English -in, -ine < Old French < Latin -inus, -ina, -inum < Greek -inos, -inē, -inon
< New Latin -ina. See -ine 2
When one thing is in another, it is surrounded by or within it, the way chocolate chips are in a bowl of cookie batter. In is a word with many different uses. A child can be in a sandbox, and a teenager can be in love. You can sit in your car, or say to a friend, "See you in an hour!" An actor might be in a film, while your dad tells people he's in publishing, and both live in New York City. If your clothes are in, they're stylish, and if you're locked in your room, you're confined inside it.
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Read on: SpaceX ushered in a ‘new era’ for investing in space.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
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There is faint starlight on the bay, which outlines the shore, ships, and buildings in the distance.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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In the integrated capacity solutions sector, revenue surged 49% to $388 million.
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From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
In 1915, a German hand-decorated a gin bottle with a skull-faced, spike-helmeted soldier wishing its owner good luck.
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In July 1953, at the age of thirty-six, she slips on a white cap and gown and joins one other patient—eighteen-year-old Bert King, from Florida—for high school commencement.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
IN 1963, Spike Lee was one member of the “first Black family in Cobble Hill.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
The study will be published the morning of Dec. 5 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology -- IN PRACTICE.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024
IN 51 innings pitched, he’s struck out 55 batters with nine walks.
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AT 1:30 IN THE MORNING, on March 30, I was awakened by sharp, unfriendly knocks at my door, the unmistakable signature of the police.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Not that they''re a shoo in- there's a lot of resentment against Mr Sharif and his party, who are blamed for Pakistan's economic misery.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024
Johanna Mayer: Yeah, he was 55, so they were sort of in- in their prime of their careers and their relationship.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 21, 2023
But Riley often takes mesh to another level by adding more in- or out-breaking routes at different depths.
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Men stepped in- to windows, and women, listening.
From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2021
It’s a flowery speech, more or less written by Susana, about how important preschool is for in- digenous kids.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
She said testing was not available on the NHS so went to a private trichologist - a hair and scalp specialist -in Ipswich who was "thrilled as it was the first case he'd seen".
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2024
"Little or no sustained growth can be expected until fiscal, debt, and -in some cases- inflation problems are addressed" by the three, the report concludes.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. said its latest blackout will start early Tuesday and affect 605,000 customers - about 1.5 million people -in 29 Northern California counties.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2019
Corbyn, -in his speech, said the referendum held a deep symbolism for voters on both sides, which went far beyond a relationship with Europe.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 10, 2019
VISION, hereditary peculiarities of. -in amphibious animals. -varieties of. -affections of organs of, correlated with other peculiarities.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication — Volume 2 by Darwin, Charles
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From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
"She slips! She slips! Coco Gauff hangs in. What an absolute rollercoaster," Cavaday exclaimed.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
"We shopkeepers are in a very difficult situation. Customers can no longer come in. We're forced to close for a week," he complained.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
But “the most significant part of the volunteer departments is their working knowledge of the areas they live in. They know every corner. They know every face, every access point, every shortcut.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I don’t think we should pull him in. No telling how long he’s been dead.”
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
BBC News NI spoke to pupils, teachers and principals on the ins and outs of a debate exercising school pupils and teachers alike.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
“If you don’t know the ins and outs and nuts and bolts inside City Hall, how are you going to be mayor?” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
My early reflexes came from watching games on TV with my parents and learning the ins and outs from my dad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
To reduce these risky run ins, cougars have adjusted by targeting smaller animals, which helps them avoid crossing paths with wolf packs.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026
And even though I knew the ins and outs of such hokum, I was still impressed.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
The last landed, inned, or stowed, of any sort of merchandise: so called by the water-side porters, carmen, &c.
From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis
In 1622 Sir Henry Appleton, the owner of the marsh, agreed to give one-third of it to Joas Croppenburg, a Dutchman skilled in the making of dikes, if he "inned" the marsh.
From The Naturalist on the Thames by Cornish, C. J. (Charles John)
They are likewise to carry home corn, which is not inned till August and September.
From A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II. by Morton, Charles
Last month, he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning and no-hitter into the ninth against the Chicago White Sox.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Dodgers’ problems were compounded by Alex Call wasting the team’s two challenges in his at-bat in the first inning when the team had already taken the lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
And maybe it would’ve been excusable if Call had driven in the runners on first and second, but instead he ended the inning on a strikeout, stranding both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Given a three-run lead in the first inning, brought to the Dodgers by a wild pitch and Kyle Tucker’s two-run, line-drive single to left field, Sasaki seemed set up for success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
I faced him once last year, and I also watched him throw an inning a couple of weeks ago before our games against the Fury.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
