definitions
  • synonyms

inner

[ in-er ]
/ ˈɪn ər /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inner ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

situated within or farther within; interior: an inner door.
more intimate, private, or secret: the inner workings of the organization.
of or relating to the mind or spirit; mental; spiritual: the inner life.
not obvious; hidden or obscure: an inner meaning.
noting or relating to an aspect of a person's mind or personality that has not been fully discovered, revealed, or expressed: a place where anyone can find their inner artist regardless of skill level.

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RELATED WORDS

close, constitutional, essential, familiar, focal, inherent, inside, interior, internal, intestinal, intimate, intrinsic, inward, nuclear, central, concealed, deep-rooted, deep-seated, emotional, esoteric

Nearby words

innate, innate immunity, innate releasing mechanism, innately, innateness hypothesis, inner, inner automorphism, inner bar, inner barrister, inner cell mass, inner child

Origin of inner

before 900; Middle English; Old English innera, comparative based on the adv. inne within, inside; see inmost, -er4
Related formsin·ner·ly, adverb, adjectivein·ner·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inner

British Dictionary definitions for inner

inner

/ (ˈɪnə) /

adjective (prenominal)

noun

Also called: red archery
  1. the red innermost ring on a target
  2. a shot which hits this ring
Derived Formsinnerly, adverbinnerness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for inner

inner

adj.

c.1400, from Old English inra, comp. of inne (adv.) "inside" (see in). Cf. Old High German innaro, German inner. An unusual evolution for a comparative, it has not been used with than since Middle English. Inner tube in the pneumatic tire sense is from 1894. Inner city, in reference to poverty and crime, is attested from 1968.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper