in

preposition

• 1expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be enclosed or surrounded by something else:living in Deep River dressed in their Sunday best soak it in warm soapy water she saw it in the rearview mirror
• expressing motion with the result that something ends up within or surrounded by something else:don’t put dye in the bathtub he got in his car and drove off

• 2expressing a period of time during which an event takes place or a situation remains the case:they met in 1885 at one o’clock in the morning I hadn’t seen him in years

• 3expressing the length of time before a future event is expected to take place:I’ll see you in fifteen minutes

• 4(often followed by a noun without a determiner) expressing a state or condition:to be in love I’ve got to put my affairs in order a woman in her thirties laid out in a straight line
• indicating the quality or aspect with respect to which a judgment is made:no discernible difference in quality

• 5expressing inclusion or involvement:I read it in a book acting in a film

• 6indicating someone’s occupation or profession:she works in publishing

• 7indicating the language or medium used:say it in Polish put it in writing
• indicating the key in which a piece of music is written:Mozart’s Piano Concerto in E flat

• 8 [with verbal noun] as an integral part of (an activity):in planning public expenditure it is better to be prudent

adverb

• 1expressing movement with the result that someone or something becomes enclosed or surrounded by something else:come in bring it in presently the admiral breezed in

• 2expressing the situation of being enclosed or surrounded by something:we were locked in

• 3expressing arrival at a destination:the train got in very late

• 4(of the tide) rising or at its highest level.

• 5 Baseball (of an infielder or outfielder) playing closer to home plate than usual:looking for a force, they brought the infield in
• (of a pitch) very close to the batter:he threw a fastball in and up a little

adjective

• 1 [predic.] (of a person) present at one’s home or office:we knocked at the door but there was no one in

• 2 informal fashionable:pastels and light colors are in this year the in thing to do

• 3 [predic.] (of the ball in tennis and similar games) landing within the designated playing area.

noun

• a position of influence:he would ensure an in with the nominee