top definitions
quizzes
related content
examples
explore dictionary
british
medical
scientific
idioms and phrases

INS

or I.N.S.

Immigration and Naturalization Service.

International News Service, a news-gathering agency: merged in 1958 with United Press to form United Press International.

QUIZZES

Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!

Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby INS

inrigger, inro, inroad, inroads, inrush, INS, ins and outs, ins., insalivate, insalubrious, insane

Definition for ins (2 of 3)

[ in ]

/ ɪn /

preposition

(used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits): walking in the park.

(used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial): in politics; in the autumn.

(used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time): in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.

(used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.): to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.

(used to indicate means): sketched in ink; spoken in French.

(used to indicate motion or direction from outside to a point within) into: Let's go in the house.

(used to indicate transition from one state to another): to break in half.

(used to indicate object or purpose): speaking in honor of the event.

adverb

in or into some place, position, state, relation, etc.: Please come in.

on the inside; within.

in one's house or office.

in office or power.

in possession or occupancy.

having the turn to play, as in a game.

Baseball. (of an infielder or outfielder) in a position closer to home plate than usual; short: The third baseman played in, expecting a bunt.

on good terms; in favor: He's in with his boss, but he doubts it will last.

in vogue; in style: He says straw hats will be in this year.

in season: Watermelons will soon be in.

adjective

located or situated within; inner; internal: the in part of a mechanism.

Informal.

in favor with advanced or sophisticated people; fashionable; stylish: the in place to dine; Her new novel is the in book to read this summer.
comprehensible only to a special or ultrasophisticated group: an in joke.

well-liked; included in a favored group.

inward; incoming; inbound: an in train.

plentiful; available.

being in power, authority, control, etc.: a member of the in party.

playing the last nine holes of an eighteen-hole golf course (opposed to out): His in score on the second round was 34.

noun

Usually ins. persons in office or political power (distinguished from outs).

a member of the political party in power: The election made him an in.

pull or influence; a social advantage or connection: He's got an in with the senator.

(in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) a return or service that lands within the in-bounds limits of a court or section of a court (opposed to out).

verb (used with object), inned, in·ning. British Dialect.

to enclose.

Origin of in

before 900; 1925–30 for def 28; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German, Dutch, Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Gothic in, Old Norse ī, Latin in, Greek en, Lithuanian į

Definition for ins (3 of 3)

ins.

inches.

Chiefly British. inscribed.

inspector.

insulated.

insurance.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ins

I wanted to ask the question I think every mother who is fascinated by the ins and outs of the real case wants answered.
Amanda Knox: A Mother’s Obsession|Nina Darnton|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And immigrants from the Caucasus can expect much greater scrutiny from INS.
Manhunt for Boston Terrorists|Megan McArdle|April 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She has a blog, Fox on Stocks, where the self-taught savant holds forth on the ins and outs of the market.
When Celebrities Like Mila Kunis Talk Stocks, It’s Time to Get Out of the Market|Daniel Gross|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He has spent 30 years getting to know the ins and outs of the company.
Citi's Parade of CEOs|Daniel Gross|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Budding designers learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry over four intense days in New York.
Camp Fashion Design Draws Budding Designers To New York|Robin Givhan|July 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
We want no 'outs' or 'ins'—in this country every man should be 'in,' given heart and soul to honest industry.
Continental Monthly, Vol. I. February, 1862, No. II.|Various
Continue even until work from beginning, at centre, measures 7½ ins.
Beehive for Bairns, Vol. 2|Various
Ye sail stay wi' me till he kens a' the ins and outs o' it, then I'll gie ye twenty pounds.
Winter Evening Tales|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
You'd have been astonished what those two fine old chiefs knew of the ins and outs of such matters.
Rewards and Fairies|Rudyard Kipling
He thought there might be ins and outs in this affair that had not yet come to the surface.
Johnny Ludlow, Fifth Series|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for ins (1 of 6)

INS

abbreviation for

International News Service

British Dictionary definitions for ins (2 of 6)

the chemical symbol for

indium

British Dictionary definitions for ins (3 of 6)

abbreviation for

Indiana

British Dictionary definitions for ins (4 of 6)

ins.

abbreviation for

inches

British Dictionary definitions for ins (5 of 6)

in¹

/ (ɪn) /

preposition

inside; withinno smoking in the auditorium

at a place where there islying in the shade; walking in the rain

indicating a state, situation, or conditionin a deep sleep; standing in silence

before or when (a period of time) has elapsedcome back in one year

using (a language, etc) as a means of communicationwritten in code

concerned or involved with, esp as an occupationin journalism

expressing a ratio, proportion, or probabilityone in five boys

while or by performing the action of; as a consequence of or by means ofin crossing the street he was run over

used to indicate goal or purposein honour of the president

(used of certain animals) about to give birth to; pregnant with (specified offspring)in foal; in calf

a variant of into she fell in the water; he tore the paper in two

have it in one (often foll by an infinitive) to have the ability (to do something)

in it Australian informal joining in; taking part

in that or in so far as (conjunction) because or to the extent that; inasmuch asI regret my remark in that it upset you

nothing in it no difference or interval between two things

adverb (particle)

in or into a particular place; inward or indoorscome in; bring him in

so as to achieve office, power, or authoritythe Conservatives got in at the last election

so as to encloseblock in; cover in a hole

(in certain games) so as to take one's turn or one's team's turn at a certain aspect of the play; taking one's inningsyou have to get the other side out before you go in

British (of a fire) alightdo you keep the fire in all night?

(in combination) indicating an activity or gathering, esp one organized to protest against somethingteach-in; work-in

in at present at (the beginning, end, etc)

in between between

in for about to be affected by (something, esp something unpleasant)you're in for a shock

in on acquainted with or sharing inI was in on all his plans

in with associated with; friendly with; regarded highly by

have it in for or have got it in for informal to wish or intend harm towards

adjective

(stressed) fashionable; modishthe in thing to do

NZ competingyou've got to be in to win

noun

ins and outs intricacies or complications; detailsthe ins and outs of a computer system

Word Origin for in

Old English; compare Old High German in, Welsh yn, Old Norse ī, Latin in, Greek en

British Dictionary definitions for ins (6 of 6)

in²

the internet domain name for

India

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

Medical definitions for ins

The symbol for the elementindium

Scientific definitions for ins

The symbol for indium.

Idioms and Phrases with ins

In addition to the idioms beginning with in, also see under out of

in a bad light
in a bad mood
in a bad way
in a big way
in a bind
in a breeze
in absentia
in a cold sweat
in addition
in a dither
in advance
in a fix
in a flash
in a flutter
in a fog
in a good light
in a hole
in a huff
in a jam
in a lather
in all
in all one's born days
in all probability
in a manner of speaking
in and of itself
in a nutshell
in any case
in a pig's eye
in a pinch
in arms
in arrears
in a rut
in a sense
in a snit
in a state
in a stew
in a tight corner
in a tizzy
in at the death
in a walk
in a way
in awe of, be
in a while
in a word
in a world of one's own
in back of
in bad
in bad faith
in bad with, be
in behalf of
in between
in between times
in black and white
in brief
in bulk
in cahoots
in care of
in case
in cement
in character
in charge
in check
in chorus
in circles
in circulation
in clover
in cold blood
in cold storage
in commission
in common
in concert
in condition
in confidence
in conscience
in consequence
in consideration of
in creation
in deep
in default of
in defiance of
in demand
in depth
in detail
in dispute
in drag
in due course
in Dutch
in earnest
in effect
in effigy
in escrow
in essence
in evidence
in excess of
in exchange
in fact
in fashion
in favor of
in favor with
in fine feather
in for
in for a penny, in for a pound
in force
in front of
in full
in full swing
in general
in good condition
in good faith
in good hands
in good part
in good spirits
in good stead
in good time
in good with, be
in half
in hand
in harness
in heat
in high dudgeon
in honor of
in hopes of
in itself
in keeping with
in key
in kind
in large measure
in league with
in left field
in lieu of
in light of
in limbo
in line
in love
in luck
in memory of
in mind
in name only
in no case
in nothing flat
in no time
in no uncertain terms
in on, be
in one blow
in one breath
in one ear and out the other
in one fell swoop
in one piece
in one's
in one's behalf
in one's blood
in one's book
in one's cups
in one's element
in one's eyes
in one's favor
in one's glory
in one's hands
in one's heart of hearts
in one's interest
in one's mind's eye
in one's name
in one's own backyard
in one's own right
in one's own world
in one's pocket
in one's prime
in one's right mind
in one's shell
in one's tracks
in one stroke
in one's way
in orbit
in order
in other words
in over one's head
in part
in particular
in passing
in perpetuity
in person
in phase
in place
in place of
in plain English
in play
in pocket
in point
in practice
in principle
in print
in private
in progress
in proportion
in public
in question
in quest of
in reach
in reality
in reason
in reference to
in regard to
in relation to
in reserve
in residence
in respect to
in retrospect
in return
in round numbers
ins and outs
in search of
in season
in secret
in seventh heaven
in shape
in short
in short order
in short supply
inside of
inside out
inside track, the
in sight
in single file
in so many words
in some measure
in someone's
in someone's bad graces
in someone's face
in someone's good graces
in someone's hair
in someone's shoes
in someone's stead
in spades
in specie
in spite of
in state
in step
in stitches
in stock
in store
in stride
in style
in substance
in terms of
in that
in that case
in the act
in the aggregate
in the air
in the air
in the altogether
in the back
in the bag
in the balance
in the ballpark
in the bargain
in the black
in the blood
in the bud
in the buff
in the can
in the cards
in the care of
in the case of
in the chips
in the circumstances
in the clear
in the clouds
in the cold light of day
in the course of
in the dark
in the dock
in the doghouse
in the doldrums
in the driver's seat
in the dumps
in the dust, leave someone
in the end
in the event of
in the eye
in the eye of
in the face
in the face of
in the family way
in the final analysis
in the first place
in the flesh
in the flush of
in the fullness of time
in the groove
in the gutter
in the hands of
in the heat of
in the hole
in the hope
in the hot seat
in the interest of
in the interim
in the know
in the lap of luxury
in the least
in the limelight
in the long run
in the loop
in the lurch
in the main
in the making
in the market for
in the middle of
in the midst
in the money
in the mood
in the mouth
in the name of
in the near future
in the neck
in the neighborhood of
in the nick of time
in the offing
in the picture, be
in the pink
in the pipeline
in the public eye
in the raw
in the red
in there pitching
in the right, be
in the rough
in the round
in the running
in the saddle
in the same boat
in the same breath
in the same league
in the same mold
in the second place
in the short run
in the soup
in the street
in the swim
in the teeth of
in the throes
in the twinkling of an eye
in the unlikely event
in the wake of
in the way
in the wind
in the wings
in the works
in the world
in the worst way
in the wrong
in thing, the
in this day and age
in time
in time
in token of
in touch, be
in tow
in trouble with
in trust
in tune
in turn
in two shakes
in unison
in up to
in vain
in view
in view of
in wait
in waiting
in with, be
in your face

INS

or I.N.S.

QUIZZES

Words nearby INS

Definition for ins (2 of 3)

preposition

adverb

adjective

noun

verb (used with object), inned, in·ning. British Dialect.

Origin of in

Definition for ins (3 of 3)

Words related to ins

Example sentences from the Web for ins

British Dictionary definitions for ins (1 of 6)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for ins (2 of 6)

the chemical symbol for

British Dictionary definitions for ins (3 of 6)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for ins (4 of 6)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for ins (5 of 6)

preposition

adverb (particle)

adjective

noun

Word Origin for in

British Dictionary definitions for ins (6 of 6)

the internet domain name for

Medical definitions for ins

Scientific definitions for ins

Idioms and Phrases with ins