inner
inner Lexical Profile
inner Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Situated inside or further in; close to the center.
"The archeologists carefully excavated the inner chamber of the ancient temple."
Mental or spiritual; relating to the mind or feelings rather than the external world.
"After years of meditation, she achieved a profound sense of inner peace."
Private, secret, or not expressed or shown to others; restricted to a select few.
"Only members of the president's inner circle were invited to the confidential briefing."
• noun
An internal part or component of something, such as the removable lining of a garment or sleeping bag.
"You can unzip the fleece inner from the waterproof jacket when the weather gets warmer."
In archery, the red ring immediately surrounding the gold center of a target, or a shot that strikes this ring.
"Her final arrow landed cleanly in the inner, securing her second place in the tournament."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Inner' is strictly an attributive adjective and is only used directly before a noun (e.g., 'the inner circle'), never predicatively after a linking verb.
• Rhymes for inner
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'innera', the comparative form of 'inne' (inside or within), derived from Proto-Germanic '*innimiz'.