inn

1 of 2

noun

ˈin 

1

a

: an establishment for the lodging and entertaining of travelers

b

: tavern

2

: a residence formerly provided for British students in London and especially for students of law

inn

2 of 2

verb

inned; inning; inns

intransitive verb

: to put up at an inn

Synonyms of inn

Noun

• hotel
• tavern
• hostel

Examples of inn in a Sentence

Noun

We stayed at a cozy little inn in the country.

we decided to stay at an inn rather than keep driving all night

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to Lindblad, health nuts flock to Kyoto's ryokan, or traditional Japanese inns, especially Beniya Mukayu in artsy Kanazawa. —Jill Krasny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026

Shops, galleries, and inns stay open for visitors who come for cozy shopping and peaceful walks along frozen Lake Michigan beaches. —Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026

Verb

Masked federal agents wait inn the hallways outside the Immigration Courtrooms at Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, New York City on September 18, 2025. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025

Of those, 11 companies inn the Dow Industrials are expected to report, as well as four of the Magnificent Seven companies — Amazon , Apple , Meta Platforms and Microsoft . —Sarah Min, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Norse inni dwelling, inn, Old English in, adverb

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing inn

• motor inn

Rhymes for inn

• been
• bin
• chin
• din
• djinn
• fin
• finn
• gin
• grin
• in
• kin
• linn

Kids Definition

inn

noun

ˈin

: a public house that provides lodging and food for travelers : hotel

Geographical Definition

Inn

geographical name

ˈin 

river 320 miles (515 kilometers) long flowing from southeastern Switzerland northeast through Austria into the Danube River in southeastern Germany see engadine