within

within — adverb

1. in the inner part of a space, object, or area, rather than on its outer surface

1.adverbB2
Definition

in the inner part of a space, object, or area, rather than on its outer surface or outside it

Example

The old house looked plain outside, but within the walls were covered with colourful paintings.

adverb position at the start of a clause

Élise opened the wooden chest and discovered a silk scarf hidden within.

Synonyms
  • inside

    more common in everyday speech; 'within' sounds more formal or literary

  • inwardly

    used for emotions or thoughts, not physical spaces

  • internally

    technical or medical tone; emphasises the interior of a system or body

Antonyms
  • outside

    the opposite location — on the exterior surface

Usage Note

As an adverb, 'within' usually follows the main verb or appears at the beginning of a clause. It is more formal and less common than 'inside' for describing physical position.

within — preposition

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/1

For expressing time deadlines or distance limits, 'within', 'in', 'by', and 'inside' each suggest a different emphasis. 'Within' means at any point before the end of a period or no farther than a distance — for example, 'finish the report within the week' (any time before the week ends). 'In' often means at the end of the period — 'finish the report in a week' (one week from now). 'By' sets a specific deadline point — 'finish the report by Friday' (no later than Friday). 'Inside' works only for distance limits ('inside a mile') and sounds less formal than 'within' for time ('inside a week' is conversational). For precision in academic or professional writing, 'within' is usually the safest choice. To check which word fits, ask whether you mean 'any time before' (within/by), 'at the end of' (in), or a physical boundary (inside).

within ↗in ↗by ↗inside ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • within the law
  • within budget
  • within limits
  • within hours
  • within days
  • within weeks
  • within miles

Adverbs

  • well within
  • easily within
  • comfortably within
  • just within

Phrases

  • within walking distance
  • within the scope of
  • within the framework of

Prepositions

  • within reach
  • within sight
  • within range
  • within reason
  • within the bounds of

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'within' comes from Old English 'wiþinnan', formed by combining 'wiþ' (against, opposite — the same root as 'with') and 'innan' (inside, from within). The original meaning was 'from the inside' or 'on the inside', which over time broadened to include the various prepositional uses of being inside a space, a time period, or a set of limits.