within

[ with-in, with- ]

adverb

1. in or into the interior or inner part; inside.
2. in or into a house, building, etc.; indoors:

   The fire was burning on the hearth within.

3. on, or as regards, the inside; internally.
4. inside an enclosed place, area, room, etc.:

   He was startled by a cry from within.

5. in the mind, heart, or soul; inwardly.

preposition

1. in or into the interior of or the parts or space enclosed by:

   within city walls.

2. inside of; in.
3. in the compass or limits of; not beyond:

   within view;

   to live within one's income.

4. at or to some point not beyond, as in length or distance; not farther than:

   within a radius of a mile.

5. at or to some amount or degree not exceeding:

   within two degrees of freezing.

6. in the course or period of, as in time:

   within one's memory;

   within three minutes.

7. inside of the limits fixed or required by; not transgressing:

   within the law.

8. in the field, sphere, or scope of:

   within the family;

   within one's power.

noun

1. the inside of a place, space, or building.

within

/ wɪˈðɪn /

preposition

1. in; inside; enclosed or encased by
2. before (a period of time) has elapsed

   within a week

3. not beyond the limits of; not differing by more than (a specified amount) from

   within seconds of the world record

   live within your means

adverb

1. formal.
   inside; internally

Word History and Origins

Origin of within¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English withinne (preposition and adverb), Old English withinnan (adverb), equivalent to with with- + innan “from within,” equivalent to in in + -an, suffix of motion

Idioms and Phrases

• in (within) reason
• spitting distance, within
• wheels within wheels

Example Sentences

In order for DNA to fit within a cell's nucleus, it is wound up around histone proteins to form a structure called "chromatin."

From Science Daily

“That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.”

From Los Angeles Times

In its summary, the commission said it was "largely satisfied with processes in place within departments to apply, consider and approve exception requests".

From BBC

Under the current rules, tenants have to repay this discount to the council if they then sell the property on within five years of buying.

From BBC

"But we're fighting a war against a vicious enemy and we must have the right to use everything we need within the realm of international law to defend ourselves," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• in
• inside