Jump to:

• in-line
  in-line

  adjective

  (of an internal-combustion engine) having the cylinders ranged side by side in one or more rows along the crankshaft.
• in line
  in line

  Also, in line with . In conformity or agreement; within ordinary or proper limits. For example, The new policy was intended to keep prices in line with their competitors , or It's up to the supervisor to keep the nurses in line . Also see fall in line .

in-line

American  

[in-lahyn, in-lahyn] / ˌɪnˈlaɪn, ˈɪnˌlaɪn /

adjective

1. (of an internal-combustion engine) having the cylinders ranged side by side in one or more rows along the crankshaft.

---

in-line British  

adjective

1. denoting a linked sequence of manufacturing processes

2. denoting an internal-combustion engine having its cylinders arranged in a line

---

in line Idioms  

1. Also, in line with . In conformity or agreement; within ordinary or proper limits. For example, The new policy was intended to keep prices in line with their competitors , or It's up to the supervisor to keep the nurses in line . Also see fall in line .

2. Also, on line . Waiting behind others in a row or queue. For example, The children stood in line for their lunches , or There were at least 50 persons on line for opera tickets .

3. in line for . Next in order for, as in He is next in line for the presidency . All of these terms employ line in the sense of “an orderly row or series of persons or objects,” a usage dating from the 1500s.

---

Etymology

Origin of in-line

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

In line with these findings, Deutsche Bank analyst James Shin described the market reaction as “noise” and “smoke.”

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

In line with the December proposal, SGH would acquire all of BlueScope’s assets and then sell the North American businesses to Steel Dynamics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

In line with his celestial fascination, the 31-year-old singer describes the creative process of his fifth studio album as being caught in a “black hole.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

In line with longstanding policy, the Home Office would not confirm or deny whether anyone had been subjected to telephone interception by the police.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

In line with my reduced living conditions, a new form of ugli-ness arises at Jerry’s.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• consecutive
• nonstop
• short
• smooth
• solid
• straightforward
• successive
• true