inbound

American

[in-baund] / ˈɪnˈbaʊnd /

adjective

inward bound.

inbound ships.

inbound British

/ ˈɪnˌbaʊnd /

adjective

coming in; inward bound

an inbound ship

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inbound

First recorded in 1890–95; in- ¹ + -bound ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

inbound

Airport officials at the busy international airport in Lagos were Friday screening all international inbound travellers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

When it comes to evaluating inbound applications, the tool also can help with the rapidly growing volume, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Hangzhou's airport in nearby Zhejiang province saw 270 inbound and outbound flights cancelled, the report said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

Spanish and Italian agencies watching inbound migratory flows have to monitor the Sahara—a desert larger than the European Union—and the Mediterranean’s broad blue waterway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The next inbound green line train comes, and I step on board.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023