If something is within a place, area, or object, it is inside it or surrounded by it.
[formal]
Clients are entertained within private dining rooms.
An olive-coloured tent stood within a thicket of trees.
Land-use can vary enormously even within a small country.
Synonyms: inside, in, surrounded by, enclosed by More Synonyms of within
Within is also an adverb.
A small voice called from within. 'Yes, just coming.'
2. preposition
Something that happens or exists within a society, organization, or system, happens or exists inside it.
The motives that attract people to work within a social service are variable.
...the spirit of self-sacrifice within an army.
Within criminal law almost anything could be defined as 'crime'.
Within is also an adverb.
The Church of England, with threats of split from within, has still to make up itsmind.
3. preposition
If you experience a particular feeling, you can say that it is within you.
[literary]
He's coping much better within himself.
You've got to identify these inadequacies within yourself.
Within is also an adverb.
'God!' cried Dennis from within. 'Oh, my God!'
4. preposition
If something is within a particular limit or set of rules, it does not go beyond it or is not more than what is allowed.
Troops have agreed to stay within specific boundaries to avoid confrontations.
Exercise within your comfortable limit.
The film will be finished within its budget.
5. preposition
If you are within a particular distance of a place, you are less than that distance from it.
The man was within a few feet of him.
It was within easy walking distance of the hotel.
The rebels have advanced to within 150 kms of the capital.
6. preposition
Within a particular length of time means before that length of time has passed.
About 40% of all students entering as freshmen graduate within 4 years.
Within 24 hours the deal was completed.
7. preposition
If something is within sight, within earshot, or within reach, you can see it, hear it, or reach it.
His boat was moored within sight of West Church.
The people at every table within earshot fell silent instantly.
Amy looked to see if there was anything within reach that she could give him.
8. within reason
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsA preposition is one of a small but very common group of words that relate differentitems to each other. Most English prepositions have a number of meanings ... Read more
within in British English
(wɪˈðɪn)
preposition
1.
in; inside; enclosed or encased by
2.
before (a period of time) has elapsed
within a week
3.
not beyond the limits of; not differing by more than (a specified amount) from
live within your means
within seconds of the world record
adverb
4. formal
inside; internally
within in American English
(wɪðˈɪn; wɪθˈɪn)
adverb
1.
in or into the interior; on the inside; internally
2.
indoors
3.
inside the body, mind, heart, etc.; inwardly
preposition
4.
in the inner part of; inside
5.
not beyond in distance, time, degree, range, scope, etc.
within a mile, within one's experience
6.
inside the limits of
within the law
noun
7.
the inside or the interior
Word origin
ME withinne < OE withinnan < with, with + innan, within, into < in, in1
More idioms containing
within
within a hair's breadth of something
come within a hair's breadth of doing something
within striking distance
within spitting distance
come within an ace of something
to within an inch of your life
come within an inch of doing something
wheels within wheels
be within a whisker of something
come within a whisker of doing something
Examples of 'within' in a sentence
within
Only use your phone or computer within sight of family.
The Sun (2016)
The historic town of Whitby is also within easy reach.
The Sun (2016)
Instead, do something within the team that helps to get the task done.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The beach looks popular too, and hotels are within easy reach.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A job with lots of responsibility is suddenly well within reach.
The Sun (2016)
A century of winners is within reach.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The stories you tell or music you perform can find a wider, richer audience and bring a new career within reach.
The Sun (2016)
If the game keeps going this way, 500 will be within reach.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This has been addressed internally within the squad by themselves and with us.
The Sun (2011)
Then sugar came within the reach of the middle classes.
The Sun (2012)
It was then that something opened within me and the springs of perception poured forth their fountains.
Travers, P L What the Bee Knows - reflections on myth, symbol and story (1989)
It is the objective necessarily within our sights.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Suddenly a wider world was within their reach.
The Sun (2013)
It can touch something deep within our soul.
Christianity Today (2000)
Her parents say that the apartment was always within their sight.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Or suggest somewhere halfway between the two towns to settle down within easier reach of both families.
The Sun (2013)
Buried within this was something more sinister.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
How are they going to feel about having another of the same lot right within reach?
Kerr, Katharine A Time of War (1993)
Are there any game reserves and safari lodges within driving distance of a decent beach area and lodge?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They were coming right back at us and we had to find something within us to win it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This means the seller is bound to convey the property if the buyer serves a notice within a set timescale.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Members of the executive committee are all elected and are individuals who have served their time within their respective associations.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But he needs to think through the key activities of the unit and to lodge them within his own group.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGEMENT: task, responsibilities, practices (1974)
My insides leapt and within seconds the duvet was off, along with our clothes.
The Sun (2012)
Serve within an hour or two; they do not get any better with keeping.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Serve sliced within three days, or toasted for up to a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The tribunal members are concerned with fairness for employment as a whole; not within one industrial concentration.
Torrington, Derek Personnel Management: A New Approach (1991)
A shocking six out of ten are back inside within a year of their release.
The Sun (2010)
But if he thinks that the auction is within sight of completion, he is disturbingly out of touch.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Almost three quarters of prisoners who do not find work or a home on release are back inside within 12 months.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
On some bikes such as the Brompton the gears sit internally within the back wheel - hub gears.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
within
British English: within /wɪˈðɪn/ PREPOSITION
If something is within a place, area, or object, it is inside it or surrounded by it.
The sports fields must be within the city.
American English: within
Arabic: دَاخِل
Brazilian Portuguese: dentro
Chinese: 在...之内
Croatian: unutar
Czech: uvnitř
Danish: inden i
Dutch: binnen
European Spanish: dentro de
Finnish: sisällä
French: dans
German: innerhalb
Greek: εντός
Italian: entro
Japanese: ･･･以内で
Korean: ...의 안쪽에
Norwegian: innen(for)
Polish: w obrębie
European Portuguese: dentro
Romanian: îninterior
Russian: внутри
Latin American Spanish: dentro de
Swedish: inom
Thai: ภายใน
Turkish: içinde
Ukrainian: у межах
Vietnamese: trong vòng
All related terms of 'within'
within call
within range; accessible
within limits
If you add within limits to a statement, you mean that it is true or applies only when talking about reasonable or normal situations.
within reason
If you say that you will do anything within reason , you mean that you will do anything that is fair or reasonable and not too extreme .
within an ace of
almost to the point of
wheels within wheels
If you say that there are wheels within wheels , you mean that there are a number of different influences , reasons , and actions which together make a situation complicated and difficult to understand .
within an inch of
very close to
within one's rights
If you say that someone is within their rights to do something, you mean that they are morally or legally entitled to do it.
within rocket range
able to be reached by rockets
within someone's grasp
If you say that something is within someone's grasp , you mean that it is very likely that they will achieve it.
within spitting distance
If one place is within spitting distance of another, they are very close to each other.
within striking distance
If you are within striking distance of something, or if something is within striking distance , it is quite near, so it could be reached or achieved quite easily .
within-subjects design
(of an experiment ) concerned with measuring the value of the dependent variable for the same subjects under the various experimental conditions
in sight/ within sight
If a result or a decision is in sight or within sight , it is likely to happen within a short time.
in/within sb's hearing
If someone says something in your hearing or within your hearing , you can hear what they say because they are with you or near you.
be called within the Bar
to be appointed as a Queen's Counsel
within earshot/out of earshot
If you are within earshot of someone or something, you are close enough to be able to hear them. If you are out of earshot , you are too far away to hear them.
within range, out of range
If something is in range or within range , it is near enough to be reached or detected . If it is out of range , it is too far away to be reached or detected.
not within an ass's roar of
not close to obtaining , winning , etc
within an inch of one's life
almost to the point of death
be within a whisker of something
to be almost a particular amount
come within an ace of something
to very nearly succeed at doing something
to within an inch of your life
very severely
be within one's rights to do something
to be morally or legally entitled to do something
come within an inch of doing something
to very nearly do something
in sight/within sight/out of sight
If something is in sight or within sight , you can see it. If it is out of sight , you cannot see it.
within a hair's breadth of something
very close to something
come/be within an ace of doing something
If you come within an ace of doing something, or you are within an ace of doing something, you very nearly do or experience it.