walk-in

1 of 2

adjective

1
: large enough to be walked into
a walk-in closet
2
: arranged so as to be entered directly rather than through a lobby
a walk-in apartment
3
a
: being a person who walks in without an appointment
a walk-in blood donor
b
: of, relating to, or intended for such persons
a walk-in clinic

walk-in

2 of 2

noun

1
: a walk-in refrigerator or cold storage room
2
: an easy election victory
3
: a person who walks in without an appointment

Examples of walk-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The Marietta man was critically wounded when, officials said, Lawrence Charles Michels, 51, of Jasper, opened fire during a walk-in mental health consultation inside the facility. Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 19 Mar. 2026 This walk-in greenhouse features sliding, lockable doors and ground nails for stability, all made from durable polycarbonate walls and roomy enough to house a variety of plants. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
In Manteca, his daughters both have walk-in closets, his wife has a home office, and his pets have plenty of yard space. Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026 The inspector found moldy food in the walk-in cooler, drain flies in the dry storage area and insecticide stored on a shelf near some clean dishes. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for walk-in

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk-in was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Walk-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk-in. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

walk-in

adjective
ˌwȯ-ˌkin
1
: large enough to be walked into
a walk-in closet
2
: being or relating to a person who walks in without an appointment

Medical Definition

walk-in

1 of 2 adjective
: providing medical services to ambulatory patients without an appointment
a walk-in clinic
also : being an individual who uses such services

walk-in

2 of 2 noun
: a walk-in patient
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