intramural
Americanadjective
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involving only students at the same school or college.
intramural athletics.
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within the walls, boundaries, or enclosing units, as of a city, institution, or building.
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Anatomy. being within the substance of a wall, as of an organ.
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involving or understood only by members of a single group, profession, etc..
an intramural medical conference.
adjective
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education operating within or involving those in a single establishment
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anatomy within the walls of a cavity or hollow organ
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intramural
Explanation
Something that's intramural takes place within a single institution or community. Your local recreational center might offer intramural table tennis to its members. First used in the mid-19th century, the adjective intramural comes from the prefix intra, meaning "within," and the Latin word murus, meaning "walls." It describes an activity that is done within the boundaries — the walls — of an organization or community. You might be familiar with intramural sports leagues that are intended for recreation and fun. They're often offered though a school or community group and are typically open for any member to join.
Vocabulary lists containing intramural
Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Outcasts United
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The Chocolate War
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Walter went to Creighton University , where he studied accounting and business while playing intramural sports and participating in the philosophy society.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
It’s a “three-ring circus”: the merits docket, the shadow docket, and the justices’ increasingly public intramural snipings and gripes.
From Slate ● May 30, 2026
As portrayed by Mr. Giamatti, he’s a welcome jolt of energy in a show where the hostilities are largely intramural.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
I think because the case has twisted on forever and now seems tangled in intramural process matters, it’s hard to comprehend the enormity of what’s at stake here.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2025
Symptoms were feigned, and our mothers wrote notes excusing our absences on the day of the intramural softball tournament.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
