• In

    Pronunciation

    • stressed enPR: Ä­n, IPA: /ɪn/
    • unstressed enPR: n, IPA: /nÌ©/
    • Rhymes: -ɪn
    • Homophones: inn

    Origin 1

    From Middle English, from Old English in, from Proto-Germanic *in (whence German in, Dutch in, Danish i), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *en, whence also ultimately Latin in, Irish i, Welsh yn, Ancient Greek ἐν (modern Greek εν), Old Armenian ի (i), Old Church Slavonic vŭ(n)-, Russian в, Old Prussian en, Lithuanian į.

    Full definition of in

    Preposition

    1. Used to indicate location, inclusion, or position within spatial, temporal of other limits
      1. Contained by.
        The dog is in the kennel.
      2. Within.
        • 2013-08-03, Boundary problems, GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory.
      3. Surrounded by.
        We are in the enemy camp.   Her plane is in the air.
      4. Part of; a member of.
        One in a million.
      5. Pertaining to (that particular thing).
        He has passed in English.
      6. At the end of a period of time.
        They said they would call us in a week.
      7. Within a certain elapsed time
        Are you able to finish this in three hours?   The massacre resulted in over 1000 deaths in three hours.
      8. During (said of periods of time).
        in the first week of December;  Easter falls in the fourth lunar month;   The country reached a high level of prosperity in his first term.
      9. Into.
        • 2011, January 8, Paul Fletcher, Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle, The ball was accidentally kicked in Kevin Nolan's face in the opening seconds of the contest - an incident that set the tone for an extremely uncomfortable encounter for the Premier League side.
      10. Less water gets in your boots this way.
      11. used to indicate limit, qualification, condition, or circumstance
          • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4In returning to the vault, I had no very sure purpose in mind; only a vague surmise that this finding of Blackbeard's coffin would somehow lead to the finding of his treasure.
        1. In replacing the faucet washers, he felt he was making his contribution to the environment.
          1. Indicating an order or arrangement.
            My fat rolls around in folds.
          2. Denoting a state of the subject.
            He stalked away in anger.   John is in a coma.
        2. Indicates, connotatively, a place-like form of someone's (or something's) personality, as his, her or its psychic and physical characteristics.
          You've got a friend in me.   He's met his match in her.
        3. used to indicate means, medium, format, genre, or instrumentality
          1. (of something offered or given in an exchange) In the form of, in the denomination of.
            Please pay me in cash — preferably in tens and twenties.
            The deposit can be in any legal tender, even in gold.
            Her generosity was rewarded in the success of its recipients.
            • 2014, Carla Bethmann, Clean, Friendly, Profitable?: Tourism, page 114:... tourists sometimes attempt to pay in euros or British pounds.
          2. used to indicate medium, format, or genre
            1. Indicates a language, script, tone, etc. of a text, speech, etc.
              Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" in C minor is among his most popular.   His speech was in French, but was simultaneously translated into eight languages.
            2. Indicates a language, script, tone, etc. of writing, speaking, etc.
              When you write in cursive, it's illegible.   He spoke in French, but his speech was simultaneously translated into eight languages.

    Related terms

    Verb

    1. (obsolete, transitive) To enclose; to take in; to harvest.
      • ShakespeareHe that ears my land spares my team and gives me leave to in the crop.

    Origin 2

    Old English inne

    Adverb

    in

    1. (not comparable) Located indoors, especially: at home or the office .Is Mr. Smith in?
    2. Moving to the interior of a defined space, such as a building or room.Suddenly a strange man walked in.
    3. (sports) Still eligible to play, e.g. able to bat in cricket and baseball.He went for the wild toss but wasn't able to stay in.
    4. (UK) abbreviation of in aid of.What's that in?
    5. After the beginning of something.
      • 2011, October 1, Phil Dawkes, Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom, The Black Cats had a mountain to climb after James Morrison's header and Shane Long's neat side-foot finish gave Albion a 2-0 lead five minutes in.

    Noun

    in

    (plural ins)
    1. A position of power or a way to get it.His parents got him an in with the company
    2. (in games) The state of a batter/batsman who is currently batting – see innings
    3. A re-entrant angle; a nook or corner.

    Antonyms

    Adjective

    in

    1. In fashion; popular.Skirts are in this year.
    2. Incoming.the in train''
    3. (nautical, of the sails of a vessel) Furled or stowed.
    4. (legal) With privilege or possession; used to denote a holding, possession, or seisin.in by descent; in by purchase; in of the seisin of her husband

    Origin 3

    Abbreviation of inch

    Noun

    in

    (plural ins)
    1. Inch.

    Anagrams

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