in-

Alternative forms

• i-, il-
• en-

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Prefix

in-

1. in, into, towards, within.

   inhold, inmove, intake, inthrill

   inborn, inbound

   infield, infighting, insight, intalk, inwork

   2. Inward (direction)

      inbeat is occurring on an inward beat, inbend is to bend or curve inwards, incave is to cave inward

   4. Within (position)

      inbreed is to produce or generate within, inburning is burning within, incircle is a circle within a polygon

Prefix

in-

1. in, into

   Note: Before certain letters, in- becomes:

   • il- before l, e.g. illusion
   • im- before b, m, or p, e.g. imperil
   • ir- before r, e.g. irrigate

   2. Into

      imband is to form into a band or bands, imbar is to bar in, imbarn is to store in a barn

   4. Doing; forming verbs.

      inblind is to make blind, incloister is to cloister

   6. Having, possessing

      imbannered is having banners, inaureole is to have a halo, incarnate is be crimson

Prefix

in-

2. (non-productive) Used with certain words to reverse their meaning.

   Note: Before certain letters, in- becomes:

   • ig- before n, e.g. ignoble
   • il- before l, e.g. illegal
   • im- before b, m, or p, e.g. improper
   • ir- before r, e.g. irresistible

   1. (non-productive) Added to adjectives to mean not.

      inedible

      inaccurate

   2. Added to nouns to mean lacking or without.

      incredulity

      ineptitude

   3. Cannot, unable.

      inannihilable is that cannot be annihilated, inappellable is that cannot be appealed against, inassimilable is that cannot be assimilated

See also

• a- (Greek)
• an-
• non-
• un-
• wan-

Derived terms

Prefix

in-

1. in, into

   Antonym: eks-

Prefix

in-

1. in-, un- (indicates negation)

   Synonym: u-

Further reading

• “in-” in Den Danske Ordbog

Derived terms

• in en in

Derived terms

Prefix

in-

1. (rare, only in nouns) in, inside, interior

   ‎in- + ‎Land (“land”) → ‎Inland (“domestic territory”)

   ‎in- + ‎Schrift (“writing”) → ‎Inschrift (“inscription”)

   ‎in- + ‎Sasse (“someone who sits”) → ‎Insasse (“passenger, inhabitant”)

   ‎in- + ‎Begriff (“concept”) → ‎Inbegriff (“embodiment”)

Prefix

in-

1. (rarely productive, only with Latinate stems) in, into

   ‎in- + ‎filtrieren (“to filter”) → ‎infiltrieren (“to infiltrate”)

Prefix

in-

1. (rarely productive, only with Latinate stems) in-, un- (indicates negation)

   Synonyms: un-, nicht-

   ‎in- + ‎konsequent (“consistent”) → ‎inkonsequent (“inconsistent”)

Further reading

• “in-” in Duden online
• “in-” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache