inner

adjective

in·​ner ˈi-nər How to pronounce inner (audio)
Synonyms of innernext
1
a
: situated farther in
the inner bark
b
: being near a center especially of influence
the inner circles of political power
2
a
: of or relating to the mind or spirit
the inner life
b
: existing as an often repressed part of one's psychological makeup
inner child
inner artist
inner noun
innerly adverb

Synonyms of inner

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Examples of inner in a Sentence

She led the guests to an inner room. the inner face of the arch the inner lining of the jacket listening to her inner voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Multiple iPhone Duo owners have reported cracks developing along the center of the inner display. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 There’s scant room for inner life here, nor for reflection on anything more specific than war’s general cruelty — though, needless to say, the enemy gets even shorter shrift. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026 Karpathy’s AutoResearch ran seven hundred ML experiments on one GPU over two days with no human in the inner loop and found twenty ways to make training faster. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026 Like the name suggests, the loafer silhouette features a fluffy shearling upper contrasted by rich suede and features a similar cozy inner lining. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English innera, comparative of inne within

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing inner

Rhymes for inner

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Browse Nearby Words

in negotiation
inner
inner anhydride
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Cite this Entry

“Inner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

inner

adjective
in·​ner ˈin-ər How to pronounce inner (audio)
1
a
: situated farther in
inner room
b
: being near a center especially of influence
an inner circle of advisors
2
: of or relating to the mind or spirit
inner peace
innerly adverb
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