inn
noun
a commercial establishment that provides lodging, food, etc., for the public, especially travelers; small hotel.
inn
1 American
[in]
/ ɪn /
noun
-
inns
plural
-
a commercial establishment that provides lodging, food, etc., for the public, especially travelers; small hotel.
- Synonyms:
- hostelry
-
a tavern.
-
(initial capital letter)
-
any of several buildings in London formerly used as places of residence for students, especially law students.
-
a legal society occupying such a building.
-
Inn
2
American
[in]
/ ɪn /
noun
inn
1
British
/ ɪn /
noun
-
a pub or small hotel providing food and accommodation
-
(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
Inn
2
British
/ ɪn /
noun
Synonym Usage
See hotel.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing inn
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:
"At the same time, it was essential that we preserved the character, atmosphere and soul of the inn," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Lately, Chahal has been sprucing up the motor inn: new cabinets, new furniture, fresh paint every few months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
As for the San Juan Hill painting, it connects neatly with the history of Theodore Roosevelt, one of nine presidents who have visited the inn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Borel, the sommelier, recalled Ray pleading with him to let her go after she was stopped at his inn, claiming that Krndija had been holding her against her will.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
We went up the street, past the whitewashed stone houses, families sitting in their doorways watching us, to the inn.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
The Alila Ventana Big Sur resort is 51 years old, while the Post Ranch Inn sits on the former homestead of the Post pioneer family who settled in the region in the 1860s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Dana Point Marina Inn was set to be demolished and replaced by two new hotels on the harbor, though the vote to approve the leases has been postponed to next month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Cava, despite the broader company’s stock decline, was still packed with salad-hungry customers; so were Naya and Dig Inn.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
NHS director Joanne, from New Inn, Torfaen, met Griffiths on the dating app Hinge in August 2022.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the Hillside Inn, among the group of her sorority sisters.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Where to Stay: Around Hawley and Honesdale—the towns near camps like IHC and Trail’s End—there are plenty of no-frills inns to choose from.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
In the midst of this waits Moonstone Beach, often strewn with driftwood, and Moonstone Beach Drive, which is lined by about a dozen inns and boutique hotels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2025
The fruits, also known as chequers, were once used to make a type of beer, and are thought by some to have given many UK pubs and inns their names.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2024
By the 18th century, servants at country houses and inns expected these gifts from guests, and sources at the time complained of the cost.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 26, 2024
Even if he and Goblin had dawdled a bit on country roads, they both liked arriving at the inns at a gallop.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
