ˈin 
ən,
ᵊn
1
a
—used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits
in the lake
wounded in the leg
in the summer
b
: into sense 1
went in the house
2
—used as a function word to indicate means, medium, or instrumentality
written in pencil
bound in leather
3
a
—used as a function word to indicate limitation, qualification, or circumstance
alike in some respects
left in a hurry
b
: into sense 4a
broke in pieces
4
—used as a function word to indicate purpose
said in reply
5
—used as a function word to indicate the larger member of a ratio
one in six is eligible
1
a(1)
: to or toward the inside especially of a house or other building
come in
(2)
: to or toward some destination or particular place
flew in on the first plane
(3)
: at close quarters : near
play close in
b
: so as to incorporate
mix in the flour
—often used in combinationbuilt-in bookcases
c
: to or at an appropriate place
fit a piece in
2
a
: within a particular place
especially
: within the customary place of residence or business
the doctor is in
b
: in the position of participant, insider, or officeholder
—often used with on
in on the joke
c(1)
: on good terms
(2)
: in a specified relation
in bad with the boss
(3)
: in a position of assured or definitive success
d
: in vogue or season
e
of an oil well
: in production
f
: in one's presence, possession, or control
after the crops are in
g
: from a condition of indistinguishability to one of clarity
fade in
1
a
: that is located inside or within
the in part
b
: that is in position, operation, or power
the in party
c
2
: that is directed or bound inward : incoming
the in train
3
a
: extremely fashionable
the in thing to do
b
: keenly aware of and responsive to what is new and fashionable
the in crowd
1
inch
2
inlet
indium
Indiana
variants
or il-
or im-
or ir-
variants
or il-
or im-
or ir-
1
: in : within : into : toward : on
—usually il- before l
illuviation
, im- before b, m, or pimmingle
, ir- before rirradiance
, and in- before other soundsinfiltrate
2
: en- entry 1
imbrute
imperil
inspirit
1
a
: neutral chemical compound
insulin
b
: enzyme
pancreatin
c
: antibiotic
penicillin
2
: -ine entry 2 sense 1a
epinephrin
3
: pharmaceutical product
niacin
: organized public protest by means of or in favor of : demonstration
teach-in
love-in
Synonyms
Preposition
Adverb
Adjective
- à la mode
- a la mode
- au courant
- chic
- cool [slang]
- exclusive
- fashionable
- fresh [slang]
- happening
- hip
- modish
- sharp
- smart
- snappy
- stylish
- supercool
- swell
- swish
- trendy
- voguish
Noun
Examples of in in a Sentence
Preposition
Don't come in here with those muddy feet!
drawn on the wall in crayon
Adverb
She went in and closed the door.
I lost my keys and now I can't get in.
The burglars broke in through the kitchen window.
The pool is deep. Be careful not to fall in.
The boss called us in for a conference.
The fog was closing in fast.
Get your orders in early!
Is the train in yet?
Adjective
the in thing to do
the in place to go
It's what the in crowd is wearing this season.
Noun
When you're trying to get started in show business, it helps to have an in.
They must have an in with the boss.
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
President Biden was in spin mode Wednesday when a reporter asked him to comment on data showing an uptick in the inflation rate.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 Apr. 2024
However, the Patriots were 0-3 in the NorCal Classic at Tracy High School last weekend.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Kansas City is 2-1-4 and in seventh place in the West.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
Founded in 2010 by Andrés, World Central Kitchen is devoted to cooking and delivering meals to people in need following social and environmental disasters.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024
One person is dead and police believe a suspect may be barricaded in a home on the west side of Indianapolis.
—Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
The ballot measure will have to win at least 60% of the vote in November in order to become law.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Ben had died in an unfortunate accident involving a pile of boxes.
—Camille Butera, WIRED, 1 Apr. 2024
Lorena O’Neil, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Cooler air will make its way back in over the Rockies Sunday into Monday, dragging temperatures back near and below average there.
—Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024
How will traffic affect drivers on I-94? People driving to the concert should give themselves plenty of time to drive in, especially on April 12 during the Friday evening commute.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
The congressman had been flown in from his Bimini home the night before.
—Bea Hines, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
The next four teams will have to claw their way in through the play-in tournament.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
After the school board voted not to let him back in, overnight the story broke.
—Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Take some of your brilliant lawyers from the Corporation Counsel and put them in there and start holding hearings.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Knight and McGee head in to check it out and are momentarily startled to see a human-sized green-skinned alien, which turns out to be a dummy belonging to another dummy: Galactic Watch Society radio operator Nestor Quinn (Tommy Snider).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2023
But on their in-state routes, Alaska Air is the only option.
—Scott McMurren, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Jan. 2023
Abby is famously swole, and her in-game body was based on Colleen Fotsch, a CrossFit star.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023
And on an individual level are players such Riley Mahlman and Kaden Johnson, highly-touted prospects from Minnesota who declined the chance to play for their in-state school and joined forces with its oldest rival.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 23 Nov. 2022
While SeatGeek immediately shows the all-in price on its website, on its mobile app, the company only shows fees immediately if customers turn the filter on, but that filter button isn’t visible without scrolling.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2022
Taxes on the homes are additional, but the all-in cost is lower than land-lease parks.
—Scott Burns, Dallas News, 24 Apr. 2022
Yumi customers also get exclusive access to its in-house team of experts, including pediatricians and nutritionists, to offer support along your food journey.
—Stefani Sassos, Good Housekeeping, 30 Dec. 2022
This year, earmarks comprise more than half of the additional $103 million the agency received for its in-house research account and nearly one-quarter of NIST’s overall budget of $1.6 billion.
—Byjeffrey Mervis, science.org, 29 Dec. 2022
Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 15 Apr. 2024
The Heat, No. 8 in the East, would have been locked into the play-in (meaning a seventh or eighth seed) with a loss on Wednesday, combined with a Cleveland win against Memphis and an Orlando win at Milwaukee.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Their son, Evan, a foreign correspondent for The Journal who was on a reporting assignment in Russia, had missed his daily security check-in.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Forty Niner 6 drive-in, 4450 Marysville Blvd., in northeast Sacramento County, opened as a single screen on June 29, 1950 under the name Bell Drive-in.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
How to say 'Erin Go Bragh' on Saint Patrick's Day
How to say it: Air-in... go... braw.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2024
Electrical plants with rotating generators are giving way to solar and wind farms fronted by power inverters, which convert the renewables’ DC-out into the grid’s AC-in.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2024
That switch in the order of events related to liability is comparable to the difference between opt-in and opt-out in privacy.
—Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
Ryan O’Meara brought his black Angus steer named Ace to the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Westminster Friday for the annual 4-H Beef Weigh-in.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2024
Preposition
And, in the closing minutes, the Hawkeyes were only six points down and in striking distance of a miraculous comeback.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
President Biden was in spin mode Wednesday when a reporter asked him to comment on data showing an uptick in the inflation rate.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 Apr. 2024
However, the Patriots were 0-3 in the NorCal Classic at Tracy High School last weekend.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Kansas City is 2-1-4 and in seventh place in the West.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
Founded in 2010 by Andrés, World Central Kitchen is devoted to cooking and delivering meals to people in need following social and environmental disasters.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024
One person is dead and police believe a suspect may be barricaded in a home on the west side of Indianapolis.
—Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
The ballot measure will have to win at least 60% of the vote in November in order to become law.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Ben had died in an unfortunate accident involving a pile of boxes.
—Camille Butera, WIRED, 1 Apr. 2024
Adverb
And even though there are still a plethora of heteronormative love triangles and television often still adheres to the status quo, nuance has crept in.
—Lorena O’Neil, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Cooler air will make its way back in over the Rockies Sunday into Monday, dragging temperatures back near and below average there.
—Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2024
How will traffic affect drivers on I-94? People driving to the concert should give themselves plenty of time to drive in, especially on April 12 during the Friday evening commute.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
The congressman had been flown in from his Bimini home the night before.
—Bea Hines, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
The next four teams will have to claw their way in through the play-in tournament.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
After the school board voted not to let him back in, overnight the story broke.
—Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Take some of your brilliant lawyers from the Corporation Counsel and put them in there and start holding hearings.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Knight and McGee head in to check it out and are momentarily startled to see a human-sized green-skinned alien, which turns out to be a dummy belonging to another dummy: Galactic Watch Society radio operator Nestor Quinn (Tommy Snider).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Southland Prep celebrates at ‘All-In’ college rally Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park recently celebrated for the tenth consecutive year that all members of its senior class have been accepted to college.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2023
But on their in-state routes, Alaska Air is the only option.
—Scott McMurren, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Jan. 2023
Abby is famously swole, and her in-game body was based on Colleen Fotsch, a CrossFit star.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023
And on an individual level are players such Riley Mahlman and Kaden Johnson, highly-touted prospects from Minnesota who declined the chance to play for their in-state school and joined forces with its oldest rival.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 23 Nov. 2022
While SeatGeek immediately shows the all-in price on its website, on its mobile app, the company only shows fees immediately if customers turn the filter on, but that filter button isn’t visible without scrolling.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2022
Taxes on the homes are additional, but the all-in cost is lower than land-lease parks.
—Scott Burns, Dallas News, 24 Apr. 2022
Yumi customers also get exclusive access to its in-house team of experts, including pediatricians and nutritionists, to offer support along your food journey.
—Stefani Sassos, Good Housekeeping, 30 Dec. 2022
This year, earmarks comprise more than half of the additional $103 million the agency received for its in-house research account and nearly one-quarter of NIST’s overall budget of $1.6 billion.
—Byjeffrey Mervis, science.org, 29 Dec. 2022
Noun
That crew eliminated the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs a year ago in a seven-game series, and the Warriors return to Golden 1 Center on Tuesday night for an encore in a play-in, must-have game.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 15 Apr. 2024
The Heat, No. 8 in the East, would have been locked into the play-in (meaning a seventh or eighth seed) with a loss on Wednesday, combined with a Cleveland win against Memphis and an Orlando win at Milwaukee.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Their son, Evan, a foreign correspondent for The Journal who was on a reporting assignment in Russia, had missed his daily security check-in.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Forty Niner 6 drive-in, 4450 Marysville Blvd., in northeast Sacramento County, opened as a single screen on June 29, 1950 under the name Bell Drive-in.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
How to say 'Erin Go Bragh' on Saint Patrick's Day
How to say it: Air-in... go... braw.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2024
Electrical plants with rotating generators are giving way to solar and wind farms fronted by power inverters, which convert the renewables’ DC-out into the grid’s AC-in.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2024
That switch in the order of events related to liability is comparable to the difference between opt-in and opt-out in privacy.
—Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
Ryan O’Meara brought his black Angus steer named Ace to the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Westminster Friday for the annual 4-H Beef Weigh-in.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in
Cite this Entry
“In.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
in
1 of 6 preposition
(ˈ)in
ən,
ᵊn
1
a
—used to show enclosing, including, or placing within limits
in the lake
wounded in the leg
in the summer
in a minute
b
: into sense 1a
went in the house
don't come in here with those muddy feet
2
—used to show means or medium
written in pencil
works in plastics
photographs in color
3
a
—used to show a state or condition
we're in trouble
is made in three sizes
in power
in love
b
: into sense 2a
broke in pieces
4
—used to show manner or purpose
said in reply
5
—used to show the larger member of a ratio
one in five
in
2 of 6 adverb1
a
: to or toward the inside
went in and closed the door
b
: to or toward a place
flew in yesterday
c
: so as to be or seem near
play close in
d
: into the midst of something
mix in the flour
e
: to or at its proper place
fit a piece in
f
: so as to be in agreement
fell in with our plans
2
a
: on the inner side : within
everyone is in
b
: on good terms
in with the right people
c
: in fashion
boots are in this year
d
: at hand : on hand
the evidence was in
harvests are in
in-
5 of 6 prefix
variants
or il-
or im-
or ir-
1
: in : within : into : toward : on
—usually il- before l, im- before b, m, or p, ir- before r, and in- before other sounds
infiltrate
2
: en- sense 2
imperil
-in
6 of 6 noun suffixən
: chemical compound
stearin
insulin
niacin
Etymology
Prefix
derived from Latin in- "not"
Prefix
derived from Latin in "in, into"
Noun suffix
derived from Latin -ina, -inus (adjective suffixes)
Legal Definition
in
preposition
: under the law of : based on
brought an action in negligence—National Law Journal
National Law JournalLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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