in

preposition

\ ˈin

, ən, ᵊn\

Definition of in

(Entry 1 of 11)

1a —used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits in the lakewounded in the legin the summer

b : into sense 1 went in the house

2 —used as a function word to indicate means, medium, or instrumentality written in pencilbound in leather

3a —used as a function word to indicate limitation, qualification, or circumstance alike in some respectsleft in a hurry

b : into sense 2a 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

adverb

\ ˈin

Definition of in (Entry 2 of 11)

1a(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 combination built-in bookcases

c : to or at an appropriate place fit a piece in

2a : 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

in for

: certain to experience in for a rude awakening

adjective

\ ˈin

Definition of in (Entry 3 of 11)

1a : that is located inside or within the in part

b : that is in position, operation, or power the in party

c : inside sense 2

2 : that is directed or bound inward : incoming the in train

3a : extremely fashionable the in thing to do

b : keenly aware of and responsive to what is new and fashionable the in crowd

noun

\ ˈin

Definition of in (Entry 4 of 11)

1 : one who is in office or power or on the inside a matter of ins versus outs

2 : influence, pull enjoyed some sort of in with the commandant— Henriette Roosenburg

abbreviation (1)

Definition of in (Entry 5 of 11)

1 inch

2 inlet

symbol

Definition of In (Entry 6 of 11)

indium

abbreviation (2)

Definition of IN (Entry 7 of 11)

Indiana

in-

prefix (1)

variants: or il- or im- or ir-

Definition of in- (Entry 8 of 11)

: not : non-, un- —usually il- before l illogical , im- before b, m, or p imbalanceimmoralimpractical , ir- before r irreducible , and in- before other sounds inconclusive

in-

prefix (2)

variants: or il- or im- or ir-

Definition of in- (Entry 9 of 11)

1 : in : within : into : toward : on —usually il- before l illuviation , im- before b, m, or p immingle , ir- before r irradiance , and in- before other sounds infiltrate

2 : en- entry 1 imbrute imperil inspirit

-in

noun suffix

Definition of -in (Entry 10 of 11)

1a : neutral chemical compound insulin

b : enzyme pancreatin

c : antibiotic penicillin

2 : -ine entry 2 sense 1a epinephrin

3 : pharmaceutical product niacin

-in

noun combining form

Definition of -in (Entry 11 of 11)

: organized public protest by means of or in favor of : demonstration teach-in love-in

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about in

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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: Adverb

And yet two early franchises, the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny, did fold in 2004. — Mark Goodman, The Denver Post, "Backpass: Is there a path to pro women’s soccer in Colorado?," 12 July 2019 Aroldis Chapman threw a perfect ninth to give the AL its 19th win 22 games, with a tie stuck in there. — baltimoresun.com, "MLB All-Star Game: American League holds on for seventh straight victory, 4-3," 10 July 2019 Chapman closed to give the AL its 19th win in 22 games, with a tie stuck in there. — chicagotribune.com, "American League strikes out 16 National League hitters to win its 7th straight All-Star Game," 10 July 2019 Chapman closed to give the AL its 19th win in 22 games, with a tie stuck in there. — Ben Walker, The Mercury News, "AL strikes out 16, holds off NL for 4-3 win in All-Star Game," 9 July 2019 Add vegetables and capers to the bowl with vinegar mixture and toss to combine; fold in parsley. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Caponata Flatbread," 1 July 2019 The movie will be over shortly and real life will creep back in again, and real life tells you something different to what the movie has given you for a short moment. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Danny Boyle explains how they pulled off that gasp-inducing Beatles moment in Yesterday," 29 June 2019 Of course, personnel changes are nothing new for the group, which launched back in 2008 as an outlet for Diplo and Switch. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 32 Best Dance Songs of 2019 (So Far): Staff Picks," 27 June 2019 The fire starts to blow up, and the afternoon after leaving the area, the smokejumpers helicopter back in. — Mark Jenkins, National Geographic, "When wildfires break out, this elite team of ‘smokejumpers’ parachute in," 12 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

If the alternative to an all-in bet was another year of underwhelming returns, Toronto's choice was clear all year. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "We The Champs: Kawhi, Masai and the Legend of the 2019 Raptors," 14 June 2019 Andre Roberson's injury has hurt them worse than anyone could have imagined, and suddenly the all-in bet on one year of George is becoming a more sobering proposition. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "The Year of Stress in the Western Conference," 9 Mar. 2018 But this latest test suggests that the United States may already be in range as well, and that, as one former top American intelligence official noted recently, would put enormous pressure on American missile defenses that few trust to work. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump looks east for new foreign policy," 5 July 2017 But this latest test suggests that the United States may already be in range as well, and that, as one former top American intelligence official noted recently, would put enormous pressure on American missile defenses that few trust to work. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, "What Can Trump Do About North Korea? His Options Are Few and Risky," 4 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Right now, however, Swift is all-in on promoting Lover, which drops August 23. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Did Kelly Clarkson Just Find A Loophole In The Taylor Swift-Scooter Braun Drama?," 15 July 2019 Other programs include guided walks with a park ranger, trailhead displays, or a tie-in to the national Walk With a Doc program, which enables people to ask questions and learn about health from a local physician. — Cassidy Randall, Glamour, "Spend More Time Outside—Doctor’s Orders," 11 July 2019 This Camp Know Where is actually part of a bigger tie-in for Microsoft that will be available in the company’s retail stores. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Microsoft’s new Windows 1.11 app is a Stranger Things trip back to 1985," 8 July 2019 The final component of the tie-in is a prize package. — Anna Washenko, Ars Technica, "Microsoft releases Windows 1.11 throwback app as a Stranger Things tie-in," 8 July 2019 Better for cross-branding, of course, and Happy Meal tie-ins. — Chris Erskine, latimes.com, "Now showing: Drive-in theaters, those beacons of gentle summer nights," 3 July 2019 Once a surprise hit, the show is now valuable intellectual property whose kitschy, culturally literate aesthetic lends itself much more readily to brand tie-ins than the only other contemporary TV series with such wide appeal, Game of Thrones. — Judy Berman, Time, "Season 3 of Stranger Things Proves It Isn't Really a TV Show Anymore—It's a Franchise," 30 June 2019 The Indian Jazz Journey, co-sponsored by UC San Diego Extension and the Quartyard, was hosted by saxophonist and composer George Brooks and had a tie-in, of sorts, to the Petco show. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "The show must go on — just not in Escondido," 29 June 2019 Second, a French name is a nice tie-in to the local region and largely bilingual fan base. — Conor Orr, SI.com, "Which Cities Would Deserve the Newest NFL Expansion Team?," 7 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'in.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of in

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for in

Preposition

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German in in, Latin in, Greek en

Prefix (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin; akin to Old English un-

Prefix (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin, from in in, into

Noun suffix

French -ine, from Latin -īna, feminine of -īnus of or belonging to — more at -en

Noun combining form

sit-in

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Learn More about in

Dictionary Entries near in

I must love you and leave you

in-

-in

in 3-D

Statistics for in

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Time Traveler for in

The first known use of in was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for in

preposition

English Language Learners Definition of in

(Entry 1 of 4)

—used to indicate location or position within something

: to the inside of (a room, container, etc.)

—used to indicate that someone or something belongs to or is included as part of something

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of in (Entry 2 of 4)

: to or toward the inside of something (such as a building)

: to or toward a place

: at the place where someone or something arrives after traveling

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of in (Entry 3 of 4)

: popular or fashionable

: aware of and strongly influenced by what is new and fashionable

noun

English Language Learners Definition of in (Entry 4 of 4)

chiefly US, informal : a way of becoming involved in something or of influencing someone

See the full definition for in in the English Language Learners Dictionary

preposition

\ ˈin

, ən\

Kids Definition of in

(Entry 1 of 7)

1 : located or positioned within The house is in the country.

2 : into sense 1 We ran in the house.

3 : during It's warmer in the summer.

4 : with sense 2 I wrote in pencil.

5 —used to show a state or condition You're in luck!We're in trouble.

6 —used to show manner or purpose I'm in a hurry.He laughed in reply.

7 : into sense 2 It broke in pieces.

adverb

\ ˈin

Kids Definition of in (Entry 2 of 7)

1 : to or toward the inside I went in and closed the door.

2 : to or toward some particular place We flew in yesterday.

3 : near entry 1 sense 1 Play close in.

4 : into the midst of something Mix in the flour.

5 : to or at its proper place Can you fit this piece in?

6 : on the inner side : within Everyone is in.

7 : present and available for use All the votes are in.

in for

: sure to experience He was in for a surprise.

adjective

\ ˈin

Kids Definition of in (Entry 3 of 7)

1 : being inside or within the in part

2 : headed or bound inward the in train

3 : fashionable

in.

abbreviation

Kids Definition of in.

inch

abbreviation

Kids Definition of IN

Indiana

in-

prefix

variants: or il- or im- or ir-

Kids Definition of in-

(Entry 1 of 7)

: not : non-, un- —usually il- before l illogical , im- before b, m, or p immoralimpractical , ir- before r irreconcilable and in- before other sounds incomplete

in-

prefix

variants: or il- or im- or ir-

Kids Definition of in- (Entry 2 of 7)

1 : in : within : into : toward : on —usually il- before l illuminate , im- before b, m, or p import , ir- before r irradiate , and in- before other sounds infect

2 : en- sense 2 imperil