in

preposition

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\ 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 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

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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Synonyms & Antonyms for in

Synonyms: Preposition

Synonyms: Adverb

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Adjective

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: Preposition Raul Dominguez in San Antonio contributed to this report. — Tim Reynolds, ajc, "USA Basketball picks Grant Hill as Colangelo's replacement," 4 Apr. 2021 Perry came back in the second half after backup Taylor Holston relieved him. — I.c. Murrell, Arkansas Online, "Punt return for touchdown propels UAPB past Mississippi Valley State," 4 Apr. 2021 On Saturday, Division 1 is scheduled for Kalamazoo with Division 2 in Grand Rapids. — Tom Lang, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan high school wrestling: Dundee's Stony Buell finishes perfect, wins fourth title," 3 Apr. 2021 Former Interim Chief Yvette Gentry ordered a PSU investigation into Burbrink the same day, The Courier Journal reported in February. — Tessa Duvall, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville police withhold records in major's demotion for butting into Breonna Taylor case," 3 Apr. 2021 Miles, a patrol officer, joined the department in 2019. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Montgomery police officer arrested on felony ethics charge," 3 Apr. 2021 Once the liver is blocked off, it is bathed in high doses of the chemotherapy melphalan to kill tumors. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, "Data for Delcath’s liver tumor device are positive, but lingering questions cloud path to approval," 3 Apr. 2021 Using archive home video, protest music, assorted flyers and paraphernalia from the time, this is a visual masterclass in a radical 1980s aesthetic and a BFI Flare highlight. — Hattie Collins, Vogue, "10 New and Upcoming Queer Films to Add to Your Watchlist," 3 Apr. 2021 April gave birth to another male calf, Aziz, in 2019. — NBC News, "April the giraffe, who went viral with 2017 birth, is dead," 3 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb More information will clearly be coming in on this issue via ongoing studies. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "Why your wait time between COVID vaccine doses may be different than your neighbor’s," 3 Apr. 2021 The emergency room was busy with several people coming in with critical cases when Lenox Hill emergency physician Dr. Robert Glatter first saw Krakower, Glatter told ABC News. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, "COVID miracles: 3 healthy patients who nearly died from COVID-19 speak out," 27 Mar. 2021 Nameless customers walked in, bothered the Cloud 9 staff, and left. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "The lovely Superstore series finale found the silver lining in a dark Cloud 9: Review," 26 Mar. 2021 In terms of gas tax, Pennsylvania also scored a near-bottom finish, ranking No. 50 and coming in ahead of California. — Dave Fidlin, Washington Examiner, "Pennsylvania places No. 48 on analysis of least-taxed states in country," 24 Mar. 2021 Kentucky has the nicest drivers out there, coming in at No. 50 for rude drivers. — Sarah Brookbank, The Enquirer, "How rude are Ohio, Kentucky drivers? Ranking the states," 23 Mar. 2021 Coming in behind Drake was Taylor Swift, who picked up 103 million song streams, followed by Juice WRLD at Three with 97.5 million. — Rs Charts, Rolling Stone, "Drake Holds on at Number One on Artists 500 Chart," 23 Mar. 2021 But something important happens when the funds run out: The programs’ benefits automatically get cut so that their spending doesn’t exceed the revenue coming in. — Robert Verbruggen, National Review, "PSA: We’re Still Going Bankrupt," 23 Mar. 2021 Aaron Gordon went 7-for-8 from downtown, while Joe Harris (50 percent from 3-point range coming in) missed 10 triples. — Mike Mazzeo, Forbes, "Brooklyn Nets Guard Spencer Dinwiddie Could Be Dealt By March 25 Trade Deadline," 20 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Yet Preller also made clear this is not an all-in year for the Padres. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, "Padres get their party started with a win amid proclamations of expectations and hope," 1 Apr. 2021 Families are being asked to arrange their own transportation for students on their in-class learning days. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, "Student rallies, high school pay-per-view, $500 tips: News from around our 50 states," 10 Sep. 2020 Jonathan Hinze, president of UxC, notes that among nonsubsidized mines, the all-in cost of production can range anywhere from $10 a pound up to $38 a pound. — Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, "Uranium Has That Healthy Glow Again," 23 Mar. 2021 In other words, Curry expressed his uneasiness with his teammates well before his in-game outburst. — Mark Medina, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Warriors at pivotal point with Stephen Curry’s frustrations and James Wiseman’s benching," 12 Mar. 2021 For the return to all-in, Barnes said the district purchased plexiglass shields for both students and staff. — John Benson, cleveland, "Lakewood City Schools announce March 15 all-in date, address learning loss with invite-only ‘Spring into STEM’ program: Photos," 8 Mar. 2021 In contrast, residential customers nationwide paid a much lower 13.36 cents per KWH, with an all-in rate of 11.11 cents. — Roger Conrad, Forbes, "Texas Power Crisis: An Emerging Buying Opportunity," 1 Mar. 2021 This is done through a combination of on-site content, email nurture program, and our in-house patient care coordinators – the interactions are continuously analyzed and improved upon. — Gary Drenik, Forbes, "A Direct-To-Consumer Approach To PTSD Care," 4 Mar. 2021 Then Charisma Osborne hit a close-in shot as time expired to give UCLA at 52-51 lead heading into the fourth. — oregonlive, "Oregon State tough down the stretch as Beavers stun No. 8 UCLA 71-64," 21 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The mythical monster was created as a stand-in for the fear and terror of the nuclear weapons that devastated Japanese society. — Washington Post, "‘Godzilla vs. Kong’: Which of our big boys has the power to win?," 31 Mar. 2021 Rob Bonta is a considered a shoo-in for confirmation from the Legislature. — Adam Beam, Star Tribune, "Farmworkers fight shaped California attorney general nominee," 25 Mar. 2021 At first, the premise of the show appears to center on Jonah (Ben Feldman), a business-school washout who takes a job at a giant retail store, Cloud 9, presumably a stand-in for Walmart. — Kovie Biakolo, Vulture, "Farewell to Superstore, a Show That Got Representation Right," 24 Mar. 2021 Chapman seemed a shoo-in for that role early last season, which could be considered his breakout based on numbers alone. — Hannah Underwood, Dallas News, "Texas A&M offseason breakout candidates: Can Caleb Chapman continue on path to becoming A&M’s lead WR?," 18 Mar. 2021 In many ways, the maneuvering is a stand-in for larger tensions within the party. — New York Times, "Democrats, Pushing Stimulus, Admit to Regrets on Obama’s 2009 Response," 16 Mar. 2021 There is whiteface, redface and blackface, along with narrative flourishes delivered by a stand-in for the playwright himself. — Los Angeles Times, "Fountain Theatre’s first play on its pandemic outdoor stage? ‘An Octoroon’," 9 Mar. 2021 Others hated that Evan Peters turned out to be just a big ruse rather a tie-in with X-Men. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, "We need to talk about ‘WandaVision’ and all those Marvel spoilers that didn’t come true," 9 Mar. 2021 White House press secretary Jen Psaki, meanwhile, has sought to cool speculation Young is a shoo-in to be elevated to the top budget post. — Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner, "White House resists Shalanda Young as OMB nominee as congressional pressure grows," 8 Mar. 2021

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

impx

imu

I must love you and leave you

in-

Statistics for in

Last Updated

6 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“In.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in. Accessed 16 Apr. 2021.

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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

abbreviation