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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition The Police Department has reported Benton Luther, 36, died of smoke inhalation in a car fire June 14 at 2011 Collins. — Laurinda Joenks, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2022 As part of our ongoing reporting on the closures of local restaurants, here is a list of Bay Area establishments that closed in July 2022. — Elgin Nelson, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Aug. 2022 Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. — People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 1 Aug. 2022 This marks the highest year-over-year jump of any of the categories tracked in the report. — Kevin L. Clark, Essence, 1 Aug. 2022 Get yourself into a positive headspace by unplugging in June. — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2022 Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico. — Lindsey Bahr, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2022 A year ago during the historic heat dome, nearly 100 people died across Oregon including 72 who died in Multnomah County. — oregonlive, 31 July 2022 Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico. — Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb More trailers were coming in from western Kentucky, areas that were destroyed by tornadoes last year. — Arkansas Online, 31 July 2022 Thirty-seven years later, the song beat its previous record, coming in at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s Global 200, surprising Bush herself with the level of enthusiasm from both older and younger generations. — cleveland, 30 July 2022 Joanne is unhappy because her career has been sidelined, and one of my old pieces was still in there. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 27 July 2022 Take a close look at your lease before signing to see if this clause is in there. Check those meters. — Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2022 Hamlin, 41, and Busch, 37, had already completed the race, coming in at first and second place, when the drivers were informed of their violation. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE.com, 25 July 2022 And if the flow is right, then the emotion gets in there. — Alessandro Corona, The Enquirer, 22 July 2022 Everyone's heard the myth that things can go missing in there. — Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 15 July 2022 His 10-year-old son and Uzi shared a room together but now, his son doesn’t want to be in there. — Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 13 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Additionally, vendors should be able to demonstrate their work ethic by the working style and teamwork between the external staff and your in-house personnel. — Thanh Pham, Forbes, 19 July 2022 The team also worked with Supermassive to line up objects on the set with their in-game locations using the stage’s gridded layout. — Alyse Stanley, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 What subjects does Ortiz cover with his in-game banter? — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2022 Miami’s dominant first quarter on Saturday provided enough cushion to withstand Boston’s furious comeback and emotional in-game returns from Celtics players who had appeared to be seriously injured. — New York Times, 22 May 2022 The value of its in-game currency SLP has dropped by 95% since last July. — Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2022 Yes, every Breakpoint NFT technically had a tiny, unique serial number engraved on its in-game model. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 6 Apr. 2022 Although his in-game return to the mound will be delayed, Mattson threw a bullpen Saturday, throwing 75% fastballs. — Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 16 Mar. 2022 With the expansion comes an all-in beverage program steered by new Kato partner Ryan Bailey. — Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Last month, student activists ended a monthlong sit-in, vowing to file a lawsuit of their own. — Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2022 The Washington incumbents have largely avoided mentioning their votes to impeach Trump while on the campaign trail, opting instead to zero-in on local issues. — Miles Cohen, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2022 These are great reasons to reach out to your prospects and offer congratulations, insights or just a friendly check-in. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 Pops of color enliven the gray-and-white wallpaper design, while a white built-in and a comfy gray couch ground the room. — Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2022 The protesters appeared prepared for the long-haul – or at least an extended sit-in. — The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2022 Online and mail-in voting begins Sept. 1 and ends Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. ET. — William Earl, Variety, 1 Aug. 2022 The experiments found that initiators significantly underestimated the recipient's reaction to the check-in. — Rachel Fadem, CNN, 30 July 2022 As the lead-in for Metallica, Strings made perfect sense. — Joshua Klein, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2022 See More

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

Learn More About in

Dictionary Entries Near in

-in

in-

Statistics for in

Last Updated

4 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“In.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in. Accessed 13 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for in

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