inside

1 of 4

noun

1
a
: an interior or internal part or place : the part within
b
: inward nature, thoughts, or feeling
c
: viscera, entrails
usually used in plural
2
: an inner side or surface
3
a
: a position of power, trust, or familiarity
only someone on the inside could have told
b
: confidential information
has the inside on what happened at the convention
4
: the area nearest a specified or implied point of reference: such as
a
: the side of home plate nearest the batter
b
: the middle portion of a playing area
c
: the area near or underneath the basket in basketball

inside

2 of 4

adverb

1
: on the inner side
2
: in or into the interior
stayed inside during the storm
3
: to or on the inside
4
: in prison

inside

3 of 4

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or being on or near the inside
an inside pitch
2
a
: relating or known to a select group
inside information

inside

4 of 4

preposition

1
a
: in or into or as if in or into the interior of
waited inside the church
b
: on the inner side of
just inside the door
2
: within
inside an hour

Examples of inside in a Sentence

Noun The inside of the church is quite beautiful. I've never seen the inside of a computer before. Adverb I cleaned my car inside and out. The candy is chewy inside. We went inside during the storm. Step inside and look at our menu. He got put inside for burglary. Adjective the inside edge of her foot He gave us an inside view of the situation. I got the inside story from a friend who works there. Preposition We waited inside the store. Several people were trapped inside the burning building. She kept her hands inside her pockets. His feelings were building up inside him. He lives inside the city limits. Sources inside the company indicate that there are disagreements about the change in management. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Air fryers are small convection-like ovens that blow hot air around their insides, cooking and crisping food like chicken wings, fries and bacon. Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023 Major surgery could result in the patient’s insides floating out. Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 The guts of the phone look just like the Pixel 7 Pro, but Google has started to pick up on a few of Apple's tendencies to make the phone's insides look nice. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 23 Oct. 2023 But representation also has to do with our insides. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 17 Oct. 2023 Medical anatomists studied semicircular canals in the sixteenth century by cutting open cadavers and drawing their insides, but doctors didn’t gain a deeper understanding of the vestibular system until the nineteenth century. Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2023 Unfortunately, something was starting to disturb my insides. Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023 The bread is just substantial enough to hold up to its insides. Mara Severin | Eating Out, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Sep. 2023 My outside is good enough to eat, but my inside gets thrown away. Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 4 Sep. 2023
Adverb
The bag is made from a durable recycled polyester material and is large enough to fit a 13 inch laptop inside, even featuring two interior pockets as well as two external ones. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2023 There are also thoughtful safety precautions, including an inner liner and childproof zipper, to prevent a potential choking hazard from the beads inside. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023 Preheat oven to 375°F with a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside. Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023 Where the show has excelled in the past, though, is in going inside places the public didn’t see and revealing its characters’ inner lives. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023 Dozens of oversized windows scattered throughout the house flood the place with natural light, while sliding glass doors allow ocean breezes to waft inside and back out. James McClain, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023 Rings can be stashed on ring rolls or in trays inside (or outside) the organizer. Kristen (kj) Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2023 On Monday, more than 100 bodies were decomposing in the hospital’s front yard, another 50 were inside and about 60 others were in the morgue, said a spokesman for the Gazan Health Ministry, ​​Medhat Abbas. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 With a max force tension of over 400 pounds, these heavy-duty luggage straps keep cargo safely inside. Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 12 Nov. 2023
Adjective
In April, model Sofia Richie Grainge joined TikTok and posted a series of Get Ready with Me videos to offer fans an inside look into her wedding. Haleluya Hadero, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023 In addition to sharing a glimpse of her tree, the reality star gave an inside look at her family’s Thanksgiving dinner preparations and tablescape. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 False hope recently emerged that the Grammy winner was planning a world tour with Live Nation for next year, but an inside source confirmed to Billboard that there was no merit to the rumors. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2023 To celebrate the release of Disney’s Wish, which comes 100 years after the company first put out Steamboat Willie in 1923, Walt Disney Animation Studios gave press an inside look at the place where the magic happens at its famous Burbank headquarters (yes, the one with the sorcerer hat). Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2023 In fact, these inside pockets make going through various airport and Customs checkpoints a breeze. Amber Love Bond, Travel + Leisure, 18 Nov. 2023 The authorities may seek to resolve the problem through the permanent deployment of more forces on the border and inside communities themselves, so as to improve security. Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2023 The buck won’t be scored until after the 60-day drying period is up, but its heavy rack has a 23-inch inside spread and split brow tines. Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023 An inside look at Hyatt's Unbound Collection with Independent Collection vice president Katie Johnson. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2023
Preposition
Ukrainian military forces have used unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct strikes inside Russian territory, expanding the scope of the conflict outside the frontline. Greg Norman, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2023 That would allow everyone from potential investors to customers to take a peek inside a company that's kept much of its operations under wraps. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2023 Receiver Tutu Atwell once again capitalized on a deep route, and tight end Tyler Higbee resurfaced as a threat inside the 20-yard line. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 We are left to imagine the scene inside a classroom. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2023 Topline Disease may claim more lives in Gaza than bombs, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions inside the Palestinian enclave as a truce between Israel and Hamas is on its fifth day. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Aid groups inside the strip said Palestinians were unable to contact emergency services amid heavy strikes under those blackouts. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 For many of their families, the only updates on the situation inside the tunnel have come from news reports. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 The potential exposures occurred over roughly two years and involved patients who needed an endoscopy, a procedure where doctors use a small camera to look inside the body to detect diseases. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inside.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of inside was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near inside

Cite this Entry

“Inside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inside. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

inside

1 of 4 noun
1
: an inner side or surface
2
a
: an interior or internal part
b
: inward nature, thoughts, or feeling
c
: entrails
usually used in plural

inside

2 of 4 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or being on or near the inside
an inside wall
2
: relating or known to a special group of people
inside information

inside

3 of 4 preposition
1
a
: in or into the interior of
they are inside the house
b
: on the inner side of
put the dot inside the curve
2
: before the end of : within
inside an hour

inside

4 of 4 adverb
1
: on the inside
the car is clean inside
2
: in or into the interior
went inside

More from Merriam-Webster on inside

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!