inter

¹ American  

[in-tur] / ɪnˈtɜr /

verb (used with object)

interred, interring

1. to place (a dead body) in a grave or tomb; bury.

2. to place (a cremation urn) in an aboveground niche or in a grave or tomb.

   Her ashes were interred at the crematorium.

3. to put into the earth.

4. to forget or remove from consideration; abandon.

   Your dreams may be interred by social expectations and the demands of maturity.

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inter- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” (intercept; interest ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (intercom; interdepartmental ).

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inter. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. intermediate.

2. interrogation.

3. interrogative.

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inter ¹ British  

/ ɪnˈtɜː /

verb

1. (tr) to place (a body) in the earth; bury, esp with funeral rites

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inter. ² British  

abbreviation

1. intermediate

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inter- ³ British  

prefix

1. between or among

   international

2. together, mutually, or reciprocally

   interdependent

   interchange

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inter– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “between” or “among,” as in interplanetary, located between planets.

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Other Word Forms

• reinter verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of inter¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English enteren, from Middle French enterrer, probably from unattested Vulgar Latin interrāre, derivative of terra “earth”; in- ²

Origin of inter-²

Middle English < Latin (in some words replacing Middle English entre- < Middle French < Latin inter- ), combining form of inter (preposition and adv.); interior

Compare meaning

How does inter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inter vs. intrapersonal

Explanation

Inter means to bury, usually in a tomb or grave. If you loved your cat a lot, you might want to inter her remains in the back yard and make a nice little memorial. Most of the time, the word inter is going to be about burying someone or something. Often times, a family owns a plot of land in a cemetery where all family members are interred when they die. Occasionally, you might see it in the phrase "inter alia," a literary Latin expression meaning "among other things." Your professor is probably a poet and a scholar, inter alia.

Example Sentences

Having said that, the inter will always be preferred simply because it is much more flexible - it can be used in quite heavy rain right up to when it's almost dry.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

There are no signs of violence, and the grave was probably opened multiple times over the course of several decades to inter new bodies.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 19, 2024

Christopher Taktak, Pisces’ chief executive, said a solution that is mostly warm water takes about four hours to leave behind bone material that people will inter or take home.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2023

Baby boomers, a reputedly upbeat lot, are probably not considering whether there will be enough space to inter them after they’ve all died.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

“Ar, I always knew yeh’d find it hard ter squeeze me inter yer timetables,” he said gruffly, pouring them more tea.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling