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Synonyms

inn

1 American  
[in] / ɪn /

noun

  1. a commercial establishment that provides lodging, food, etc., for the public, especially travelers; small hotel.

    Synonyms:
    hostelry

  2. a tavern.

  3. (initial capital letter)

    1. any of several buildings in London formerly used as places of residence for students, especially law students.

    2. a legal society occupying such a building.

Inn 2 American  
[in] / ɪn /

noun

  1. a river in central Europe, flowing from S Switzerland through Austria and Germany into the Danube. 320 miles (515 km) long.

inn 1 British  
/ ɪn /

noun

  1. a pub or small hotel providing food and accommodation

  2. (formerly, in England) a college or hall of residence for students, esp of law, now only in the names of such institutions as the Inns of Court

"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
Inn 2 British  
/ ɪn /

noun

  1. a river in central Europe, rising in Switzerland in Graubünden and flowing northeast through Austria and Bavaria to join the River Danube at Passau: forms part of the border between Austria and Germany. Length: 514 km (319 miles)

"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

Related Words

See hotel.

Other Word Forms

  • innless adjective

Etymology

Origin of inn

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English in(n) “house”; akin to Old Norse inni (adverb) “within, in the house”

Explanation

An inn is a place to stay while you're on vacation or on the road. Inns are usually smaller and more charming than hotels, but they serve the same purpose: to give you a place to rest your weary head as you travel. Some inns are more charming versions of hotels, while others use the word inn simply to make them sound more appealing than a motel. The original meaning of inn was "lodging and food for travelers," although today some inns don't have a restaurant or bar attached. If you own or manage an inn, you're an "innkeeper." Inn comes from the Old English inne, "inside or within."

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Vocabulary lists containing inn

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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.

Alibaba, NIO, and other U.S.-listed Chinese stocks were falling inn premarket trading Thursday after Beijing set its lowest economic growth target in decades.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

All you need to know is that Dunk meets Egg at a roadside inn.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026

The question, as usual, is whether people are too busy celebrating the story of the nativity to make room at the inn.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

The inn has gotten more visitors since the rains, Katt said, because the hotel is only about seven miles from the park entrance and isn’t as expensive as the hotels inside its boundaries.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

He gives a quick nod and slips inside the inn.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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.