inner

I1N1N1E1R1
/ˈɪnə//ˈɪnɚ/[ɪ̃ɾ̃ɚ]South Asia/ˈɪnnə(r)/

adjective

Being or occurring (farther) inside, situated farther in, located (situated) or happening on the inside of something, situated within or farther within contained within something.

“inner ear”

Opposite
CommonScrabble 5

Meanings

inner1

adjectiveinner (comparative (rare) innermore or (obsolete) inmore, superlative innermost or inmost)

comparative rare innermore · comparative obsolete inmore · superlative innermost · superlative inmost

  1. Being or occurring (farther) inside, situated farther in, located (situated) or happening on the inside of something, situated within or farther within contained within something.

    inner door; inner room; inner sanctum; inner surface

    1 more example

    As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels.

    2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist
  2. Close to the centre, located near or closer to center.

    the inner suburbs

  3. Inside or closer to the inside of the body.

    inner ear

  4. Of mind or spirit, relating to the mind or spirit, to spiritual or mental processes, mental, spiritual, relating to somebody's private feelings or happening in somebody's mind, existing as an often repressed part of one's psychological makeup.

    inner confidence; inner strength; inner life; inner child; inner artist; inner peace; inner light

    2 more examples

    I will try to express. My inner feeling and thankfulness. For showing me the meaning of success

    1973, John Lennon, Out the Blue

    Bart spies an opportunity to make a quick buck so he channels his inner carny and posits his sinking house as a natural wonder of the world and its inhabitants as freaks, barking to dazzled spectators, “Behold the horrors of the Slanty Shanty! See the twisted creatures that dwell within! Meet Cue-Ball, the man with no hair!”

    2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2012
  5. Not obvious, private, not expressed, not apparent, hidden, less apparent, deeper, obscure; innermost or essential; needing to be examined closely or thought about in order to be seen or understood.

    inner meaning; inner resources; inner logic

  6. Privileged, more or most privileged, more or most influential, intimate, exclusive, more important, more intimate, private, secret, confined to an exclusive group, exclusive to a center; especially a center of influence being near a center especially of influence.

    inner circle; inner council

    1 more example

    Mother[…]considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.

    1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC
nouninner (plural inners)

plural inners

  1. An inner part.
  2. South AfricaA duvet, excluding the cover.
  3. A forward who plays in or near the center of the field.
  4. ball gamesA thin glove worn inside batting gloves or wicket-keeping gloves.
  5. UKgovernmentOne who supports remaining in the European Union.
  6. engineeringThe 2nd circle on a target, between the bull (or bull's eye) and magpie.

Inner2

nounInner (plural Inners)

plural Inners

  1. literatureAn inhabitant of the inner planets of the Solar System

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

antonym(s) of “One who supports remaining in the EU”

Opposite

adjectivelocated inward

adjectivelocated or occurring within or closer to a center

Opposite

adjectiveinnermost or essential

adjectiveconfined to an exclusive group

adjectiveexclusive to a center; especially a center of influence

Similar

adjectiveinside or closer to the inside of the body

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

inner · adjective, noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁en
  2. Old Englishinnera
  3. Middle Englishinner
  4. Englishinner

From Middle English inner, ynner, ynnere, from Old English innera, comparative of inne (“within”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁en.

Full word history & related roots →

Inner · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁en
  2. Old Englishinnera
  3. Middle Englishinner
  4. EnglishInner

Capitalization of inner, from Middle English inner, ynner, ynnere, from Old English innera, comparative of inne (“within”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁en. A demonym for an inhabitant of inner planets of the Solar System.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἐσωτερικός
  • ἐσωτερικός (esōterikós)being or occurring inside
Arabic داخلى
  • داخلىbeing or occurring inside
Bulgarian вътрешен, вътрешност
  • вътрешен (vătrešen)being or occurring inside
  • вътрешност (vătrešnost)inner part
Catalan interior
  • interiorbeing or occurring inside
Chinese Mandarin 內部 /内部, 裡面 /里面
  • 內部 /内部 (nèibù)being or occurring inside
  • 裡面 /里面 (lǐmiàn)being or occurring inside
  • 內側 /内侧 (nèicè)being or occurring inside
  • 體內 /体内 (tǐnèi)inside or closer to the inside of the body
  • 內側 /内侧 (nèicè)inside or closer to the inside of the body
  • 內心 /内心 (nèixīn)relating to the mind or spirit
  • 精神relating to the mind or spirit
  • 心靈 /心灵 (xīnlíng)relating to the mind or spirit
  • 深層 /深层 (shēncéng)not obvious, private
  • 隱晦 /隐晦 (yǐnhuì)not obvious, private
  • 內在 /内在 (nèizài)not obvious, private
  • 本質 /本质 (běnzhì)not obvious, private
  • 內部 /内部 (nèibù)inner part
  • 內側 /内侧 (nèicè)inner part
Czech vnitřní
  • vnitřníbeing or occurring inside
Dutch binnen-, binnenste
  • binnen-being or occurring inside
  • binnenstebeing or occurring inside
  • binnen-inside or closer to the inside of the body
  • inwendiginside or closer to the inside of the body
  • innerlijkrelating to the mind or spirit
  • verborgennot obvious, private
Esperanto ena, interna
  • enabeing or occurring inside
  • internabeing or occurring inside
  • profundaclose to the centre, located near or closer to center
  • animarelating to the mind or spirit
Finnish sisäpuolinen, sisä-
  • sisäpuolinenbeing or occurring inside
  • sisä-being or occurring inside
  • sisempibeing or occurring inside
  • sisä-close to the centre, located near or closer to center
  • sisempiclose to the centre, located near or closer to center
  • sisä-inside or closer to the inside of the body
  • sisäinenrelating to the mind or spirit
  • syvempinot obvious, private
  • sisäinennot obvious, private
  • sisä-more or most privileged, influential, exclusive
  • sisäpiiri-more or most privileged, influential, exclusive
French intérieur, interne
  • intérieurbeing or occurring inside
  • interneinside or closer to the inside of the body
  • intérieurinside or closer to the inside of the body
German inner
  • innerbeing or occurring inside
Greek εσωτερικός, εσώψυχος
  • εσωτερικός (esoterikós)being or occurring inside
  • εσώψυχος (esópsychos)relating to the mind or spirit
Hindi आंतरिक, अंतः
  • आंतरिक (āntrik)being or occurring inside
  • अंतः (antaḥ)being or occurring inside
  • आंतरिक (āntrik)inner part
Hungarian belső, benti
  • belsőbeing or occurring inside
  • bentibeing or occurring inside
Italian interno, interno
  • internobeing or occurring inside
  • internoinner part
Latin penitus
  • penitusbeing or occurring inside
Polish wewnętrzny
  • wewnętrznybeing or occurring inside
Portuguese interno, interior
  • internobeing or occurring inside
  • interiorbeing or occurring inside
Romanian intern, interior
  • internbeing or occurring inside
  • interiorbeing or occurring inside
  • lăuntricbeing or occurring inside
Russian вну́тренний
  • вну́тренний (vnútrennij)being or occurring inside
Spanish interior, interno
  • interiorbeing or occurring inside
  • internoinside or closer to the inside of the body
  • interiorinside or closer to the inside of the body
  • interiorrelating to the mind or spirit
  • interiorinner part
Swedish inre
  • inrebeing or occurring inside
Tagalog panloob, panloob
  • panloobbeing or occurring inside
  • panloobclose to the centre, located near or closer to center
Turkish iç
  • içbeing or occurring inside
Ukrainian вну́трішній
  • вну́трішній (vnútrišnij)being or occurring inside

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with inner

All rhymes →

Sounds the same

inter- (some dialects)inter- (some dialects)

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

inner. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inner

MLA

“inner.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inner. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inner,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inner.

Source: inner on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.