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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”

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.

In 2010, Wonderful acquired Justin, which includes production facilities, a tasting room, inn and Michelin-starred restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

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

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 pianist Randy Weston had a formative experience while working a summer job as a breakfast cook at the inn; he later paid tribute with a soulful tune titled “Berkshire Blues.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

It’s the actual Fourth of July today, so Aunt Melissa is busy at the inn.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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.