inner

American  

[in-er] / ˈɪn ər /

adjective

1. situated within or farther within; interior.

   an inner door.

2. more intimate, private, or secret.

   the inner workings of the organization.

3. of or relating to the mind or spirit; mental; spiritual.

   the inner life.

4. not obvious; hidden or obscure.

   an inner meaning.

5. 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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inner British  

/ ˈɪnə /

adjective

1. being or located further inside

   an inner room

2. happening or occurring inside

   inner movement

3. relating to the soul, mind, spirit, etc

   inner feelings

4. more profound or obscure; less apparent

   the inner meaning

5. exclusive or private

   inner regions of the party

6. chem (of a compound) having a cyclic structure formed or apparently formed by reaction of one functional group in a molecule with another group in the same molecule

   an inner ester

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noun

1. Also called: red.  archery

   1. the red innermost ring on a target

   2. a shot which hits this ring

Other Word Forms

• innerly adverb
• innerness noun

Etymology

Origin of inner

before 900; Middle English; Old English innera, comparative based on the adv. inne within, inside; inmost , -er ⁴

Example Sentences

Security at Mar-a-Lago is extremely tight, with an outer cordon of local Palm Beach sheriffs and an inner one maintained by the Secret Service.

From BBC

Indulge a certain inner calm, then, when watching Canada’s secession politics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Looking ahead, the researchers expect that continued study will shed new light on the planet's inner workings.

From Science Daily

Here’s how that relates to my tax refund: I love the windfall, but my inner grouchy accountant knows it’s just my money returning with 0% APY.

From MarketWatch

Wiseman has spent a career probing the complex inner workings and painfully human errors of America’s establishments, but in marriage itself, he may have found the most fraught, mysterious and unreformable institution of all.”

From Los Angeles Times