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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The suburbs have seen growth of a number of businesses that are drive-through only, including Portillo’s, which early this year opened a drive-through/to-go restaurant with no inside dining on La Grange Road in Orland Park. Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 The female bores into the fig to lay its eggs, which hatch out as larvae inside the fruit and eat the unripe insides before burrowing their way out. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
Adverb
So far, Self-Portrait and MAC Cosmetics has hosted splashy pop-ups inside. Denni Hu, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2025 No one was inside during the fire, according to Rhodes. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
How to book the nude cruise Rates: Cruise room rates start at $2,000 for an inside cabin and go up to $33,000 for a three-bedroom villa, similar to prices of the 2025 nude cruise. Cordell Jones, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025 On the New Heights podcast — which is hosted by her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason —on Wednesday, Swift started crying while giving an inside look at how her big purchase came to be. Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Preposition
Calvin Harris dribbled inside the penalty area and was taken down, then as Rapids players pleaded for a penalty and Atlanta defenders looked to the referee to deny it, Navarro drove a ball past keeper Brad Guzan’s feet. Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025 Blake Snell allowed three of his five hits inside the first two innings, including leadoff singles from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first and Xander Bogaerts in the second inning. Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inside

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inside. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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!