Meanings
- As a joke.First known use 14th c.
You mustn't take what I said so seriously, it was only said in play.
- In operation, active, currently valid, at play, at work.First known use 17th c.
It's hard to tell which physical forces are in play at this altitude.
1 more example
This deadly scenario with this hurricane is still in play, so please take precaution.
- alsofigurativelyhobbiesAvailable to be played according to the rules of the game in question; within the boundaries of the pitch, within the realm of the possible, etc.First known use 18th c.
now everything is in play
1 more example
The ball is in play for an average of just seven minutes out of a sixty-minute game.
- governmentCapable of being won by more than one party or candidate.
Though the state has not changed hands in 20 years, the latest polls suggest it may now be in play.
- businessOpen to a takeover bid.First known use 20th c.
Despite the best efforts of the executive committee, it seems the company is now in play.
Cite this entry
in play. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20play
“in play.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20play. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in play,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20play.
Source: in play on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.