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• in
  in

  preposition

  (used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits).
• In
  In

  indium.
• IN
  IN

  abbreviation

  Indiana (approved especially for use with zip code).
• in-
  in-

  a prefix representing English in (income; indwelling; inland , etc.), but used also as a verb-formative with transitive, intensive, or sometimes little apparent force (intrust; inweave , etc.). It often assumes the same forms as in-, such as en-, em-, im-.
• -in
  -in

  a suffix, occurring in adjectives of Greek and Latin origin, meaning “pertaining to,” and (in nouns thence derived) also imitated in English (coffin; cousin , etc.).
• in.
  in.

  abbreviation

  inch; inches.

in

¹ American  

[in] / ɪn /

preposition

1. (used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits).

   walking in the park.

2. (used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial).

   in politics; in the autumn.

3. (used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time).

   in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.

4. (used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.).

   to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.

5. (used to indicate means).

   sketched in ink; spoken in French.

6. (used to indicate motion or direction from outside to a point within) into.

   Let's go in the house.

7. (used to indicate transition from one state to another).

   to break in half.

8. (used to indicate object or purpose).

   speaking in honor of the event.

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adverb

1. in or into some place, position, state, relation, etc..

   Please come in.

2. on the inside; within.

3. in one's house or office.

4. in office or power.

5. in possession or occupancy.

6. having the turn to play, as in a game.

7. Baseball. (of an infielder or outfielder) in a position closer to home plate than usual; short.

   The third baseman played in, expecting a bunt.

8. on good terms; in favor.

   He's in with his boss, but he doubts it will last.

9. Informal. in vogue; in style.

   He says straw hats will be in this year.

10. in season.

    Watermelons will soon be in.

adjective

1. located or situated within; inner; internal.

   the in part of a mechanism.

2. Informal.

   1. in favor with stylish or trendy people; currently popular: the in thing to do.

      the in place to dine;

      the in thing to do.

   2. keeping up with the latest trends and fashions.

      the in clique at school.

3. Informal. comprehensible only to a special or ultrasophisticated group.

   an in joke.

4. well-liked; included in a favored group.

5. inward; incoming; inbound.

   an in train.

6. plentiful; available.

7. being in power, authority, control, etc..

   a member of the in party.

8. 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.

noun

• ins
  plural

1. Usually ins persons in office or political power (distinguished from outs).

2. a member of the political party in power.

   The election made him an in.

3. pull or influence; a social advantage or connection.

   He's got an in with the senator.

4. (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).

verb (used with object)

British Dialect.

inned, inning

1. to enclose.

idioms

1. be in for, to be bound to undergo something, especially a disagreeable experience.

   We are in for a long speech.

2. 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.

3. in with, on friendly terms with; familiar or associating with.

   They are in with all the important people.

4. in that, because; inasmuch as.

   In that you won't have time for supper, let me give you something now.

In ² American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. indium.

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IN ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Indiana (approved especially for use with zip code).

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in- ⁴ American  

1. a prefix representing English in (income; indwelling; inland , etc.), but used also as a verb-formative with transitive, intensive, or sometimes little apparent force (intrust; inweave , etc.). It often assumes the same forms as in-, such as en-, em-, im-.

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in- ⁵ American  

1. a prefix of Latin origin meaning primarily “in,” but used also as a verb-formative with the same force as in- (incarcerate; incantation ).

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in- ⁶ American  

1. a prefix of Latin origin, corresponding to English un-, having a negative or privative force, freely used as an English formative, especially of adjectives and their derivatives and of nouns (inattention; indefensible; inexpensive; inorganic; invariable ). It assumes the same phonetic phases as in- (impartial; immeasurable; illiterate; irregular , etc.). In French, it became en- and thus occurs unfelt in such words as enemy (French ennemi, Latin inimicus, lit., not friendly).

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-in ⁷ American  

1. a suffix, occurring in adjectives of Greek and Latin origin, meaning “pertaining to,” and (in nouns thence derived) also imitated in English (coffin; cousin , etc.).

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-in ⁸ American  

1. a noun suffix used in a special manner in chemical and mineralogical nomenclature (glycerin; acetin , etc.). In spelling, usage wavers between -in and -ine. In chemistry a certain distinction of use is attempted, basic substances having the termination -ine rather than -in (aconitine; aniline , etc.), and -in being restricted to certain neutral compounds, glycerides, glucosides, and proteids (albumin; palmitin , etc.), but this distinction is not always observed.

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-in ⁹ American  

1. a suffixal use of the adverb in, extracted from sit-in, forming compound nouns, usually from verbs, referring to organized protests through or in support of the named activity (kneel-in; chain-in;be-in ) or, more generally, to any organized social or cultural activity (cook-in;sing-in ).

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in. ¹⁰ American  

abbreviation

1. inch; inches.

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in ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. India

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in- ² British  

prefix

1. in; into; towards; within; on

   infiltrate

   immigrate

2. having an intensive or causative function

   inflame

   imperil

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In ³ British  

symbol

1. indium

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in ⁴ British  

/ ɪn /

preposition

1. inside; within

   no smoking in the auditorium

2. at a place where there is

   lying in the shade

   walking in the rain

3. indicating a state, situation, or condition

   in a deep sleep

   standing in silence

4. before or when (a period of time) has elapsed

   come back in one year

5. using (a language, etc) as a means of communication

   written in code

6. concerned or involved with, esp as an occupation

   in journalism

7. expressing a ratio, proportion, or probability

   one in five boys

8. while or by performing the action of; as a consequence of or by means of

   in crossing the street he was run over

9. used to indicate goal or purpose

   in honour of the president

10. (used of certain animals) about to give birth to; pregnant with (specified offspring)

    in foal

    in calf

11. a variant of into

    she fell in the water

    he tore the paper in two

12. (often foll by an infinitive) to have the ability (to do something)

13. informal joining in; taking part

14. (conjunction) because or to the extent that; inasmuch as

    I regret my remark in that it upset you

15. no difference or interval between two things

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adverb

1. in or into a particular place; inward or indoors

   come in

   bring him in

2. so as to achieve office, power, or authority

   the Conservatives got in at the last election

3. so as to enclose

   block in

   cover in a hole

4. (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

5. (of a fire) alight

   do you keep the fire in all night?

6. (in combination) indicating an activity or gathering, esp one organized to protest against something

   teach-in

   work-in

7. present at (the beginning, end, etc)

8. between

9. about to be affected by (something, esp something unpleasant)

   you're in for a shock

10. acquainted with or sharing in

    I was in on all his plans

11. associated with; friendly with; regarded highly by

12. informal to wish or intend harm towards

adjective

1. (stressed) fashionable; modish

   the in thing to do

2. competing

   you've got to be in to win

noun

1. intricacies or complications; details

   the ins and outs of a computer system

in. ⁵ British  

abbreviation

1. inch(es)

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-in ⁶ British  

suffix

1. indicating a neutral organic compound, including proteins, glucosides, and glycerides

   insulin

   digitoxin

   tripalmitin

2. indicating an enzyme in certain nonsystematic names

   pepsin

3. indicating a pharmaceutical substance

   penicillin

   riboflavin

   aspirin

4. indicating a chemical substance in certain nonsystematic names

   coumarin

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IN ⁷ British  

abbreviation

1. Indiana

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in- ⁸ British  

prefix

1. not; non- Compare un- 1

   incredible

   insincere

   illegal

   imperfect

   irregular

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in. Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of inch

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in More Idioms  

1. In addition to the idioms beginning with in, also see under out of.

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of in¹

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

Origin of in-⁴

Middle English, Old English; see in

Origin of in-⁵

From Latin, combining form of in (preposition); cognate with in

Origin of in-⁶

< Latin; akin to an- ¹, a- ⁶, un- ¹

Origin of -in⁷

Middle English -in, -ine < Old French < Latin -inus, -ina, -inum < Greek -inos, -inē, -inon

Origin of -in⁸

< New Latin -ina. See -ine ²

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in In IN in- -in in. ins inned inning

Moving through discussions of Malcolm McDowell’s typecasting and group lessons in Irish, led by Cushla, they will go beyond gazing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

They were clad in the university’s signature burnt orange.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Lacey Hull, a Republican state representative from Houston, was among those in the GOP who showed how.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

On the City Council, she passed significant legislation around tenants’ rights and rent stabilization and chaired the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee starting in 2023, but lost that position in a council shakeup this summer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

When the M. leprae bacteria became resistant to dapsone in the 1960s, scientists developed a new multidrug regimen, which included dapsone alongside other drugs.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

In 2025, she faced sharp criticism over the city’s response to the January Palisades fire, and for being in Ghana when the fire began amid high wind warnings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

In 2016, when he was the pastor of a 40-member church, he sat down and recorded a four-minute video expressing his frustration with the country’s economic mismanagement.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

In 2025, during a clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy, a technique currently used to treat some types of leukaemia and lymphoma, Maya developed a brain injury which Dellanie said left her "profoundly disabled".

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

In one case, officials seized a 2,500-square-foot home in Transylvania from a man accused by Romanian authorities of running a U.S. skimming operation from Europe and who was convicted under Romanian money-laundering laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

In 1902, the sisters marched into the Board of Control, the governing body for the home, and demanded more funds.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

At a compact 45 minutes, “The Delta King’s Blues,” given its world premiere by IN Series here on Saturday, proved an efficient showcase for the talents of composer Damien Geter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

We're talking about locking IN - the phrase you might have seen on social media or heard people saying lately.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 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

Stellantis and South Korea's Samsung SDI Co Ltd said on Wednesday they will build a second electric vehicle battery plant in Kokomo, IN, the hometown of United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain.

From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2023

IN mandarin, change is handily expressed: a quick le at the end of the sentence will do it, as in tamen gaoxing le — now they are happy.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

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

A global audience of 50 million was projected for the July 31 final when host England beat Germany 2-1, watching television in- and out-of-home plus on live streams.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2022

But Riley often takes mesh to another level by adding more in- or out-breaking routes at different depths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2022

Soon I realize that my in- between position could offer me freedom to move among them as I wish.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

"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

She went on to teach at Catholic schools in Chicago and southern California, where she also coached girls’ basketball, before she ended at Mundelein College - on the Chicago lakefront -in the 1960s.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

A country is in recession when its economy shrinks for two three-month periods - or quarters -in a row.

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2022

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

In the Scotch of the modern writers we find the form -in.

From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham

"In a place like this, you'll take it in. You'd be surprised how many times I found myself in a place reminding myself I will never be here again."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

“There’s economic differences in terms of what’s accessible for people to send in. People have different reward systems with their kids.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

“We got a team together so we could ... block them in. It’s really the only way we could combat this problem.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

"There are a lot of bunkers that you don't really want to be in. You can have a lot of really long irons into par-four holes as well."

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Hey, get in. It’s going to rain hard.”

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

City had a large turnover of players with their ins and outs over the summer, but I'd expect them to be in the mix for all the trophies again this season.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

By Aug. 13, however, the number had jumped to 54 households, “with new move ins happening nearly every day,” the housing department said in a report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

I’ve also heard from various people telling me their whole financial picture, down to the pennies in their accounts, and the ins and outs of their divorces, estate fights and bad relationships with financial professionals.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

Similar experimental systems have long been used to study how heat moves through slow moving materials, making them useful stand ins for the rocky interiors of planets.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Yes, and what he had told Dick was true: He did know the ins and outs of hunting gold, having been taught them by his father, who was a professional prospector.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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 Francis Grose

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 Charles Morton

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 C. J. (Charles John) Cornish

“After that third inning, I just stopped trying to be quick,” Glasnow said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Could the left groin tightness that chased Blake Snell from his last start after an inning linger into the postseason?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Tucker, Max Muncy, Mookie Betts and Will Smith all homered in a five-run eighth inning, turning a nail-biter into a comfortable win.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Blake Treinen replaced him in the second inning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, and there was a runner on first.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky