English dictionary — definitions & meanings

inoccupancy

noun

The state of having no occupants, the state of being unoccupied.

inoculant

noun

The active material used in an inoculation; an inoculum

inoculate

verb

To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into something (e.g. the body) or someone, such as to produce immunity to a specific disease.

inoculation

noun

The introduction of a vaccine or similar substance into the body to build immunity to a disease.

inoculator

noun

One who inoculates.

inoculum

noun

The active material used in an inoculation; an inoculant (i.e., a material or a dose thereof).

inoperable

adj

Describing a medical condition too advanced or dangerous to be treated by surgery.

inoperative

adj

Not working or functioning; either idle or broken.

inopportune

adj

Happening at an inconvenient or badly timed moment.

inordinate

adj

Excessive; unreasonable or inappropriate in magnitude.

inorganic

adj

Relating to matter that is not derived from living organisms, especially compounds without carbon-hydrogen bonds.

inosculate

verb

To homogenize; to make continuous.

Inoue

name

A Japanese surname.

inpatient

noun

A patient whose treatment requires at least one night's residence in a hospital; a hospitalized patient.

input

noun

Information, ideas, or effort contributed toward something.

inquest

noun

A formal legal investigation, especially into the cause of a death.

inquietude

noun

A condition of being restless, uneasy or nervous.

inquinate

verb

To pollute or make dirty.

inquire

verb

To ask for information about something.

inquiring

adj

Showing curiosity or a desire to learn.

inquiry

noun

A question or request for information.

inquisition

noun

A thorough, often aggressive investigation or interrogation.

inquisitive

adj

Eager to learn or find things out; curious.

inquisitively

adv

In an inquisitive manner; curiously.

inquisitiveness

noun

The quality of being inquisitive; curiosity.

inquisitor

noun

A person who questions someone harshly or relentlessly.

INRI

abbreviation

The four letters shown on the board above Christ's head in depictions of the crucifixion, standing for the Latin inscription meaning 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'.

inrounding

noun

A phonetic feature found in Swedish, a form of rounding where the lips are protruded and kept relatively close together.

inrush

noun

A crowding or flooding in.

ins

verb

To insert something (informal, chiefly used in text-editing or shorthand contexts).

insane

adj

Suffering from serious mental illness; not of sound mind.

insanely

adv

To an extreme or intense degree.

insanitary

adj

Of or pertaining to a lack of sanitation; unsanitary, dirty, unhealthy.

insanity

noun

Serious mental illness; the state of being of unsound mind.

insatiable

adj

Impossible to satisfy; always wanting more.

insatiate

adj

That is not satiated; insatiable.

inscribe

verb

To write or cut (words) onto (something, especially a hard surface, or a book to be given to another person); to engrave.

inscription

noun

Words carved, engraved, or otherwise permanently marked onto a surface such as stone, metal, or a monument.

inscrutable

adj

Impossible to understand or interpret; mysterious.

inseam

noun

The measurement from the crotch of a pair of trousers down to the bottom of the leg, used as a sizing measurement.

insect

noun

A small six-legged creature with a hard outer shell, typically with wings, such as an ant, beetle, or fly.

insecticide

noun

A chemical substance used to kill insects.

insectivore

noun

Insect-eating animal or plant.

insecure

adj

Not confident about oneself; anxious or uncertain.

insecurity

noun

A lack of confidence in oneself.

inseminate

verb

To sow (to disperse or plant seeds).

insemination

noun

The introduction of sperm into a female reproductive system to cause pregnancy.

insensate

adj

Having no sensation or consciousness; unconscious; inanimate.

insensibility

noun

The property of being insensible.

insensible

adj

Unable to be perceived by the senses.

insensitive

adj

Showing little concern or care for other people feelings.

insensitivity

noun

The condition of being insensitive

inseparable

adj

So closely connected that two things or people cannot be separated.

insert

verb

To put or fit something into something else.

inserted

adj

Placed or fitted into something else.

inserting

verb

Putting or fitting something into something else (present participle of insert).

insertion

noun

The act of putting something into something else, or the thing that has been put in.

inshallah

interjection

God willing — said when hoping a future event will happen, acknowledging it's ultimately out of your hands.

inshore

adj

Close to (especially in sight of) a shore.

inside

noun

The interior or inner part of something.

insidely

adv

In an inside or internal manner; internally.

insider

noun

Someone with privileged knowledge of how a group or organization really operates.

insides

noun

The internal organs of the body, especially the stomach and intestines.

insidious

adjective

Causing harm slowly and quietly, so the danger isn't obvious until real damage is done.

insight

noun

A clear, often sudden, understanding of the true nature of something.

insightful

adjective

Showing a clear, perceptive understanding of something.

insightfulness

noun

The state or condition of being insightful.

insignia

noun

A badge, symbol, or mark that shows a person's rank, office, or membership in a group.

insignificance

noun

the state of being insignificant

insignificant

adjective

Too small or unimportant to matter.

insincere

adjective

Not honestly meaning what is said or shown; putting on an act.

insincerity

noun

The state or property of being insincere, lacking sincerity or truthfulness.

insinuate

verb

To hint at something, usually something negative, without stating it outright.

insinuation

noun

An indirect hint or suggestion, usually implying something unflattering.

insipid

adjective

Lacking flavor; bland.

insipient

adj

foolish; lacking wisdom; stupid

insist

verb

To state something firmly and repeatedly, refusing to accept disagreement.

insistence

noun

The act of demanding or stating something firmly and repeatedly.

insistency

noun

The quality of being insistent.

insistent

adjective

Firmly and persistently demanding something.

insisting

adjective

Firmly demanding something; insistent.

insobriety

noun

The state of being drunk; a lack of sobriety.

insofar

adverb

To the extent or degree that (usually used as "insofar as").

insolation

noun

The incident radiant energy emitted by the sun which reaches a unit area over a period of time, typically measured over a horizontal area at the Earth's surface or at the top of Earth's atmosphere.

insolence

noun

Rude, disrespectful, or arrogant behavior, especially toward someone owed respect.

insolency

noun

The quality of being insolent.

insolent

adjective

Rude and disrespectful, especially in a bold or arrogant way, particularly toward authority.

insolubility

noun

The quality of being insoluble

insoluble

adj

That cannot be dissolved.

insolvable

adj

Impossible to solve; insoluble.

insolvency

noun

The condition of being insolvent; the state or condition of a person who is insolvent; the condition of one who is unable to pay their debts as they fall due, or in the usual course of trade and business.

insolvent

adj

Unable to pay one's bills as they fall due.

insomnia

noun

A disorder or ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep.

insomniac

noun

A person who has trouble sleeping, especially on a regular basis.

insouciant

adj

Casually unconcerned; carefree, indifferent, nonchalant.

insource

verb

To obtain goods or services by insourcing.

inspect

verb

To examine something carefully, often to check for problems or verify its condition.

inspecting

noun

The act of examining something closely; an inspection.

inspection

noun

A careful, close examination of something.

inspector

noun

A person whose job is to examine and check something for quality, safety, or compliance.

inspiration

noun

A person, idea, or experience that stimulates creativity or motivation.

inspirational

adjective

Having the power to inspire; encouraging or uplifting.

inspire

verb

To fill someone with the motivation or creative energy to do something.

inspired

adjective

Showing unusual creativity, skill, or energy, as if from a sudden burst of inspiration.

inspiring

adjective

Filling people with enthusiasm, motivation, or creative energy.

inspite

preposition

Nonstandard spelling of "in spite of," meaning despite.

instability

noun

The quality of not being stable or steady; a tendency to change, wobble, or collapse.

instable

adj

Exhibiting instability; unstable

Instagram

noun

A social media platform for sharing photos and videos.

instal

verb

Dated spelling of install.

install

verb

To set up equipment, software, or a system so it's ready for use.

installation

noun

The act of setting up equipment or software so it's ready for use.

installed

verb

readied for use

installment

noun

One part of something released or paid in a series over time.

instalment

noun

The standard British, Australian, and Canadian spelling of "installment."

instance

noun

A particular example or occurrence of something.

instant

adj

Happening right away, with no delay.

instantaneous

adj

Happening so fast it seems to occur at once, with no noticeable delay.

instantaneously

adv

In a way that happens immediately, with no perceptible delay.

instanter

adv

immediately; instantly; without delay.

instantly

adv

Right away; without any delay at all.

instauration

noun

A restoration after decay or dilapidation; a renewal; a repair.

instead

adv

In place of something else already mentioned; as a substitute.

instigate

verb

To start or bring about a course of action by encouraging or pushing others toward it, especially something disruptive.

instigation

noun

The act of instigating, or the state of being instigated; incitement; especially to evil or wickedness.

instigator

noun

Someone who deliberately starts or stirs up trouble, an incident, or a plan.

instil

verb

Australia, Ireland, and UK standard spelling of instill.

instill

verb

To gradually establish an idea, feeling, or value in someone's mind so it becomes part of who they are.

instinct

noun

A behavior or urge that comes naturally, without being learned.

instinctive

adj

Coming naturally and automatically, without thinking it through.

instinctively

adv

Automatically, by instinct, without stopping to think or being taught.

institute

noun

An organization set up for a particular purpose, often research, education, or a professional cause.

institution

noun

A large, established organization, especially one dedicated to education, public service, or a similar purpose.

institutional

adj

Relating to, or typical of, an institution rather than an individual.

institutionalized

adj

Made into an accepted, official part of a system or organization.

instrew

verb

To strew about; scatter in or upon; spread.

instruct

verb

To teach someone a skill or subject.

instructed

verb

Past tense and past participle of instruct: told someone officially or firmly to do something.

instruction

noun

A statement telling someone what to do, or a set of such statements.

instructive

adj

Useful for learning something; informative in a helpful way.

instructor

noun

A person who teaches a particular skill or subject, especially a practical one.

instructs

verb

Third-person singular form of "instruct" — teaches or directs someone.

instrument

noun

A tool, especially a precise one used for measuring, medical work, or scientific tasks.

instrumental

adj

Playing a key or essential role in making something happen.

instrumentalist

noun

One who plays a musical instrument, as distinguished from a vocalist.

instrumentality

noun

The condition or quality of being instrumental; being useful; serving a purpose.

instrumentation

noun

The set of instruments used for a task, or the way they are used.

insubmissive

adj

Unwilling to submit; not submissive, disobedient

insubordinate

adj

Refusing to obey orders or accept authority; defiant.

insubordination

noun

Deliberate refusal to obey someone in authority, especially a supervisor or officer.