Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb In or into the inner part; inside.
  • adverb Inside the mind, heart, or soul; inwardly.
  • preposition In the inner part or parts of; inside.
  • preposition Not exceeding the limits or extent of in distance or time.
  • preposition Not exceeding the fixed limits of; not beyond.
  • preposition In the scope or sphere of.
  • preposition Used to indicate a range to be covered or an amount necessary before something can happen.
  • noun An inner position, place, or area.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In or into the interior; inside; as regards the inside; on the inside; internally.
  • In the mind, heart, or soul; inwardly.
  • In the house or dwelliug; indoors; at home: as, the master is within.
  • In or into the inner or interior part or parts of; inside of; in the space inclosed or bounded by: as, within the city: opposed to without.
  • Included or comprehended in.
  • Among.
  • In the course, range, reach, compass, or limits of; not beyond or more than: of distance, time, length, quantity.
  • Of time: In the limits or course of; before the expiration of; in: as, he will be here within two hours.
  • Not exceeding the space of; during; throughout.
  • So as not to exceed or overpass; under; below: as, to live within one's income.
  • In; in the purview, scope, or sphere of action of.
  • In advance of; before.
  • All but; lacking.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • preposition In the inner or interior part of; inside of; not without.
  • preposition In the limits or compass of; not further in length than; ; not longer in time than; ; not exceeding in quantity.
  • preposition Hence, inside the limits, reach, or influence of; not going outside of; not beyond, overstepping, exceeding, or the like.
  • adverb In the inner part; inwardly; internally.
  • adverb In the house; in doors.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • preposition Indicates spatial enclosure or containment.
  • preposition Indicates figurative inclusion within the scope of.
  • preposition Before the specified duration ends.
  • adverb in or into the interior; inside

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb on the inside

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English withinne, from Old English withinnan : with, with; see with + innan, from within (from in, in; see in).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English wiþinnan. More at with- +‎ in.

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Examples

  • Cargill is within a certain distance -- and it is up to you to be _within_ that distance -- it will find him, and kill him.

    The Door Through Space Marion Zimmer Bradley 1964

  • General Leman himself was within that work, the batteries against which were now operating from _within_ the ring -- that is, from the city itself, or in what soldiers technically call "reverse" -- that is, from the side upon which no fort is expected to stand, the side which is expected to defend and not to be attacked from.

    A General Sketch of the European War The First Phase Hilaire Belloc 1911

  • And for this reason -- that though Nature lays down the great constitutional laws within which man, her completest representative, must work; and though Nature as a whole formulates the main outlines of her ideal; yet man _within that constitution_ can make his own laws, and within its main outlines may refine and perfect the ideal.

    The Heart of Nature or, The Quest for Natural Beauty Francis Edward Younghusband 1902

  • As oil poured into water will come to the top, so that inward transforming will not continue hidden within, 'The king's daughter is all-glorious _within_, but also' her _clothing_ is of wrought gold. '

    Expositions of Holy Scripture St. Luke Alexander Maclaren 1868

  • "'Therefore any ship-builder may build any ship in Her Majesty's dominions, provided he does not equip her within Her Majesty's dominions, and he had nothing to do with the acts of the purchasers done _within_ Her Majesty's dominions without his concurrence, or without Her Majesty's dominions even with his concurrence.'"

    Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2) From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860 James Gillespie Blaine 1861

  • Who indeed can watch the ceaseless observation, and inquiry, and inference going on in a child's mind, or listen to its acute remarks on matters within the range of its faculties, without perceiving that these powers it manifests, if brought to bear systematically upon studies _within the same range_, would readily master them without help?

    Essays on Education and Kindred Subjects Everyman's Library Herbert Spencer 1861

  • (_violently to those within_) Am I the man to carry this shut up within me, to keep it secret?

    Amphitryo, Asinaria, Aulularia, Bacchides, Captivi Amphitryon, The Comedy of Asses, The Pot of Gold, The Two Bacchises, The Captives Titus Maccius Plautus 1919

  • Mr. WonTHlitOTON communicated two resolu - tions of the Legislature of the State of Ohio; the one, requesting their Senators and Representa - tives in Congress to use their exertions to obtain a grant of land between the Sciota and the Little Miami, io aoy part of the unappropriated lands of the United States within that State, for the use of schools, within* the Virginia military dis - trict, in lieu of the donation heretofore granted by Congress for that purpose, for reasons staled in the resolution; the other, requesting them to use tbeir exertions to procure the passage of a law prohibiting the importation of slaves into the United States, or any of the territories thereof, so sood as the Constitution will admit of the same.

    The debates and proceedings in the Congress of the United States : with an appendix containing important state papers and public documents, and all the laws of a public nature; with a copious index; compiled from authentic materials 1789

  • Demosthenes quotes the law of Solon to the effect that — “No woman under sixty years old to enter the house or follow the corpse except those within ἀνεψιαδοῖ (πλὴν ὅσαι ἐντὸς ἀνεψιαδῶν εἰσιν): no woman _at all_ may enter the house after the carrying out of the corpse except _those within_ ἀνεψιαδοῖ.” (

    On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay 1906

  • King's daughter, "all glorious without," all glorious within "--" her clothing of wrought gold "-- resplendent _without_ with the robes of righteousness -- radiant _within_ with the beauties of holiness -- shall be brought" with gladness and rejoicing, "and" enter into the King's palace. "

    Memories of Bethany 1856

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