within

American  

[with-in, with-] / wɪðˈɪn, wɪθ- /

adverb

1. in or into the interior or inner part; inside.

2. in or into a house, building, etc.; indoors.

   The fire was burning on the hearth within.

3. on, or as regards, the inside; internally.

4. inside an enclosed place, area, room, etc..

   He was startled by a cry from within.

5. in the mind, heart, or soul; inwardly.

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preposition

1. in or into the interior of or the parts or space enclosed by.

   within city walls.

2. inside of; in.

3. in the compass or limits of; not beyond.

   within view;

   to live within one's income.

4. at or to some point not beyond, as in length or distance; not farther than.

   within a radius of a mile.

5. at or to some amount or degree not exceeding.

   within two degrees of freezing.

6. in the course or period of, as in time.

   within one's memory;

   within three minutes.

7. inside of the limits fixed or required by; not transgressing.

   within the law.

8. in the field, sphere, or scope of.

   within the family;

   within one's power.

noun

1. the inside of a place, space, or building.

within British  

/ wɪˈðɪn /

preposition

1. in; inside; enclosed or encased by

2. before (a period of time) has elapsed

   within a week

3. not beyond the limits of; not differing by more than (a specified amount) from

   live within your means

   within seconds of the world record

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adverb

1. formal inside; internally

within Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing within

• in (within) reason
• spitting distance, within
• wheels within wheels

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Etymology

Origin of within

First recorded before 1000; Middle English withinne (preposition and adverb), Old English withinnan (adverb), equivalent to with with- + innan “from within,” equivalent to in in + -an, suffix of motion

Explanation

Use the adverb within when you need to say that something is on the inside. If you find that the door to your brother’s room is locked from within, that means it’s locked from the inside and he really doesn't want you to enter. Within often refers to something on the inside of an object or structure — like those screams coming from within the haunted house. You can also use the word more figuratively to describe something that’s in your soul or mind — something that’s internal. For example, you might feel a fire within you as you start getting excited about playing in the big game.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

within

And within 30 minutes, you had memes and people talking about the Elf and pretending they cared about the Elf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Government contingency plans had "never been stress tested" and officials and ministers were "forced to improvise, establishing new emergency procurement and distribution systems within days".

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

That made for some tension within the Graham-McCain relationship.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

Studying bipolar cells has long been difficult because they sit deep within the retina.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Careful not to ring it, I wrapped the old sheet around and around the clapper till it was stuffed tight within the bell.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• in
• indoors
• inside