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

Which means baby Sussex will be in good celebratory company: both great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and cousin Prince Louis have April birthdays. — Vogue, "Everything We Know About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Baby," 17 Jan. 2019 Coming soon to the @thecwriverdale A post shared by Kelly Ripa (@kellyripa) on Nov 6, 2018 at 2:55pm PST Ripa and Consuelos will be in good couple company on the Riverdale set. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kelly Ripa Is Joining the Cast of 'Riverdale' as Hiram Lodge's Mistress," 7 Nov. 2018 According to a building professional who toured both buildings, the chocolate factory was in much better condition than 2122 Locust and could have been easily stabilized. — Inga Saffron, Philly.com, "A tale of two historic Philadelphia buildings: One rises from the ashes. The other falls to the wrecking ball.," 12 July 2018 The actor will star in and executive-produce a limited series based on the life of the legendary designer, written by Sharr White of The Affair and directed by American Crime Story’s Dan Minahan. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Halston’s Life Is Being Transformed Into a Miniseries Starring Ewan McGregor," 4 Jan. 2019 In Deliveroo’s hybrid concept, customers can walk in and order food to go from these restaurant partners or place orders for delivery. — Dani Deahl, The Verge, "Food delivery app Deliveroo opens its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Hong Kong," 11 Dec. 2018 No one knows this predicament better than flight attendants, who have to deal with irrational airplane thermostats day in and day out. — Sebastian Modak, Condé Nast Traveler, "Flight Attendants Unveil 2Hot2Cold App to Report Ridiculous Cabin Temperatures," 1 Aug. 2018 Instead, Huang zooms in on an average family experiencing quotidian struggles and pleasures: the mischief and eventual transgressions of the young son, the daughters falling in love, the concerns of parents watching their children grow into adults. — Brandon Yu, SFChronicle.com, "Yang Huang’s stories chart a family’s life in China," 27 June 2018 Yet 18 months in, an explanation is nowhere in sight, although hypotheses have proliferated. — Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, "Sonic attack or mass paranoia? New evidence stokes debate over diplomats’ mysterious illness," 20 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

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

And while some other royals—namely Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle—have borrowed precious bling from their in-laws, Letizia is a trailblazer in snapping up Queen Sofia’s ready-to-wear pieces. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Queen Letizia of Spain’s Latest Look Is Handed Down From Her Mother-in-Law," 19 Dec. 2018 Their buy-in then affected how backers perceive crowdfunding with many expecting a product at the end of the process, not just the glory of having tried to help a startup get going. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Indiegogo will withhold certain crowdfunding campaigns’ funds until they ship," 14 Nov. 2018 Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger of Virginia was joined by her family for the swearing-in, and her daughters wore matching dresses. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "17 Amazing Moments You Missed from the First Session of 116th Congress and Swearing-In Ceremony," 4 Jan. 2019 There’s also a fingerprint sensor for convenient sign-ins. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "LG officially announces its ultralight 17-inch Gram laptop," 12 Dec. 2018 And developers will be able to implement in-Assistant purchases as well as a secure authentication method for easy account log-in. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Google preps for Pixel 3, smart display launch with a visual Assistant makeover," 3 Oct. 2018 Over the next 72 hours, more than 30 student organizers worked late into the night to fundraise for transport to the capital, coordinate logistics for the sit-in, and convince the YLS faculty to cancel classes so that students could protest. — Dianne Lake, Teen Vogue, "I’m a Yale Law Student and I’m Frustrated by My School’s Public Support of Brett Kavanaugh," 27 Sep. 2018 In the years leading up to World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy had gone all-in on the carrier concept. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "As It Begins Its Second Century, Is the Aircraft Carrier Obsolete?," 5 Nov. 2018 That’s all come at a time when sedan sales are absolutely tanking in the US, causing major automakers like Ford and Fiat Chrysler to go all-in on lineups that almost exclusively feature SUVs and trucks. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Tesla’s Model Y crossover is ready for production, Elon Musk says," 25 Oct. 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near in

imu

I must love you and leave you

in-

-in

Statistics for in

Look-up Popularity

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