in-between

IPA/ˌɪn.bɪˈtwiːn/
IPA/ˌɪn.bɪˈtwiːn/

in-between — adjective

1. in a position or state that falls somewhere between two recognised categories, m

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

in a position or state that falls somewhere between two recognised categories, making it difficult to give a precise name or description

Example

Soraya described her job as an in-between role that mixed sales and customer support.

attributive use before noun: in-between + role

The paint on the wall is an in-between shade, neither clearly blue nor green.

Common collocations
  • in-between stage
  • in-between size
  • in-between state
  • in-between role
  • in-between colour
Synonyms
  • intermediate

    more formal; used in technical or academic contexts

  • transitional

    focuses on a temporary stage of change rather than a static middle state

  • middle

    simpler and more general, but lacks the sense of 'hard to classify'

Usage Note

Often used before a noun (attributive), but also appears after linking verbs such as feel, seem, or sound. Common in informal contexts when describing colours, ages, roles, or seasons that do not fit neatly into a category.

Common Mistakes

This is an in-between size between S and M.
This is an in-between size
not quite small and not quite medium.' — The hyphenated adjective already implies the middle position; repeating 'between X and Y' is often redundant.
Idioms

in between

idiom

in the space or time between two things; not at one end or the other

The bakery and the library face each other, and the post office sits right in between.

Marta planned a short stop in between her flight to Tokyo and her connecting flight to Seoul.

Word family

  • in-betweenness
    nounC2
  • between
    prepositionA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

In-between is the most informal and conversational of the four. Intermediate is the closest in meaning but belongs to formal or technical writing (e.g. 'intermediate level students'). Transitional emphasises movement from one state to another, whereas in-between simply describes the static middle position. Middle is broader and lacks the 'hard to classify' nuance — a middle shelf is just central, not ambiguous. Indeterminate is a formal synonym that stresses the lack of clear boundaries ('an indeterminate shape'). In everyday speech, if you want to say something doesn't fit neatly into either of two boxes, in-between is the natural choice: 'I asked what size it was, and she said it was an in-between.'

intermediate ↗transitional ↗middle ↗indeterminate ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The phrase in between was already in use in Old English as a compound preposition-adverb meaning 'in the midst of'. By the early 1800s, English speakers began hyphenating it as in-between to form an adjective describing anything that falls between two recognised categories — capturing the idea of a middle ground that resists easy labelling.

First known use

1815

1815, in the meaning defined above Adverb Or Preposition