intramural
Americanadjective
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involving only students at the same school or college.
intramural athletics.
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within the walls, boundaries, or enclosing units, as of a city, institution, or building.
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Anatomy. being within the substance of a wall, as of an organ.
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involving or understood only by members of a single group, profession, etc..
an intramural medical conference.
adjective
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education operating within or involving those in a single establishment
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anatomy within the walls of a cavity or hollow organ
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intramural
Explanation
Something that's intramural takes place within a single institution or community. Your local recreational center might offer intramural table tennis to its members. First used in the mid-19th century, the adjective intramural comes from the prefix intra, meaning "within," and the Latin word murus, meaning "walls." It describes an activity that is done within the boundaries — the walls — of an organization or community. You might be familiar with intramural sports leagues that are intended for recreation and fun. They're often offered though a school or community group and are typically open for any member to join.
Vocabulary lists containing intramural
Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Outcasts United
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The Chocolate War
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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.
This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH; NCI; and NIH grants R01CA231300, R01CA204302, R01CA211052, R01CA169338 and U54CA224081.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2024
Standing on Northeast 45th Street, student Sean Truong and a friend waited Monday for a bus ride to the Intramural Activities fitness center, on the far end of campus from his business classes.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2021
“Many people with chronic pain continue to suffer despite taking medication,” said Dr. Ramsden, a clinical investigator in the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program.
From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2021
The National Intramural Recreational Sports Association has its own catch rule, one that ends on the following note: “If in doubt, it is a catch.”
From Slate • Mar. 21, 2018
Intramural and submucous fibroids give rise to haemorrhage.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
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.