Etymology : Middle English withinne, from Old English withinnan, from with + innan inwardly, within, from in
Pronunciation : wi-[
th]in, -thin
Function : adverb
Date : before 12th century
1. inside part, inner place, inner area. adon the interior; to the interior; inside; to the inside; from the interior. prep. inside; in the frame of; in the field of; in the range of; during; in. within\with*in"\ , prep. [oe. withinne, withinnen, as. wi?innan; wi? with, against, toward + innan in, inwardly, within, from in in. see:
with, prep., in, prep.].
2. in the inner or interior part of; inside of; not without; as, within doors. o, unhappy youth! come not within these doors; within this roof the enemy of all your graces lives. till this be cured by religion, it is as impossible for a man to be happy -- that is, pleased and contented within himself -- as it is for a sick man to be at ease.
3. in the limits or compass of; not further in length than; as, within five miles; not longer in time than; as, within an hour; not exceeding in quantity; as, expenses kept within one's income. "that he repair should again within a little while." within these five hours lived lord hastings, untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty.
4. hence, inside the limits, reach, or influence of; not going outside of; not beyond, overstepping, exceeding, or the like. both he and she are still within my power. within himself the danger lies, yet lies within his power. were every action concluded within itself, and drew no consequence after it, we should, undoubtedly, never err in our choice of good.within \with*in"\, adv.
5. in the inner part; inwardly; internally. "the wound festers within." arew. ills from within thy reason must prevent.
6. in the house; in doors; as, the master is within.within on the inside; "inside, the car is a mess" [syn: inside] [ant: outside].
7. In the inner or interior part of; inside of; not without; as, within doors.
8. In the limits or compass of; not further in length than; as, within five miles; not longer in time than; as, within an hour; not exceeding in quantity; as, expenses kept within one's income.
9. Hence, inside the limits, reach, or influence of; not going outside of; not beyond, overstepping, exceeding, or the like.
10. In the inner part; inwardly; internally.
11. In the house; in doors; as, the master is within.
12. 1. If something is within a place, area, or object, it is inside it or surrounded by it. Clients are entertained within private dining rooms a 1987 agreement which would recognise Quebec as a distinct society within Canada. ¡Ù outside Within is also an adverb. A small voice called from within. `Yes, just coming.'.
13. Something that happens or exists within a society, organization, or system, happens or exists inside it. the spirit of self-sacrifice within an army Within criminal law almost anything could be defined as `crime'. = in Within is also an adverb. The Church of England, with threats of split from within, has still to make up its mind.
14. If you experience a particular feeling, you can say that it is within you. He's coping much better within himself = in.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. If something is within sight, within earshot, or within reach, you can see:
it, hear it, or reach it. His twenty-five-foot boat was moored within sight of West Church. her heels clicking on the tiled floor, probably an irritating noise to other people within earshot ¡Ù out of.
19. within reason: see:
reason.