IN
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Indiana |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Geography & Places, Units & Measurements, Medical, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | In, in |
IN has five meanings. The most common are Indiana (US state) and Inch (US customary and imperial unit); it can also stand for India, Intranasal and Indium.
Meanings of IN at a glance
| # | IN stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | Geography & Places › US State |
| 2 | Inch | Units & Measurements › US Customary and Imperial Unit |
| 3 | India | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 4 | Intranasal | Medical › Medication Route |
| 5 | Indium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
1. Indiana
Geography & Places · US State Abbreviations
Midwestern state admitted as the 19th state on December 11, 1816, and known as the Hoosier State. Indianapolis, the capital and largest city, hosts the Indianapolis 500, and the state is one of the most manufacturing-intensive in the country, producing steel, vehicles and pharmaceuticals.
Example: Please ship the replacement part to our warehouse in Fort Wayne, IN 46802.
Traditional and AP abbreviation: Ind., used in datelines (BLOOMINGTON, Ind.) and labels such as R-Ind. IN has been the postal code since 1963 and is easily misread as the preposition in, so data files may need quoting. Do not confuse it with IA (Iowa) or IL (Illinois). In ISO country codes IN means India (.in domain), so a country field set to IN refers to India.
2. Inch (in)
Units & Measurements · US Customary and Imperial Unit Abbreviations
Exactly 25.4 millimeters since 1959, and one twelfth of a foot. Americans use inches for screen sizes (measured diagonally), lumber, tires, rainfall, body measurements and most hardware.
Example: The TV has a 65 in screen measured diagonally, about 165 cm.
Often written with a period (in.) so it is not read as the word "in", and in technical drawings with the double prime symbol, as in 12". The word comes from Latin uncia, one twelfth, which also gave English the word ounce. Pipe and lumber sizes are nominal: a 2x4 actually measures 1.5 by 3.5 in.
3. India
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
India, the world's most populous country since 2023, uses IN for its .in domain and IND as its alpha-3 code. New Delhi is the capital, and the rupee trades as INR.
Example: Select IN as the country to receive prices in rupees and pay through UPI.
In US addresses IN means Indiana. Locale tags such as en-IN and hi-IN mark Indian English and Hindi, and the time zone IST is UTC+5:30. Sports bodies also use IND.
4. Intranasal
Medical · Medication Route Abbreviations
Route that sprays or atomizes a drug onto the nasal mucosa for local or rapid systemic absorption. Naloxone, midazolam for seizures, fentanyl for pediatric pain and flu and COVID vaccines are given IN. ISMP lists the abbreviation as error-prone because it can be read as "IM" or "IV".
Example: Naloxone 4 mg IN; may repeat in 2-3 minutes in alternate nostril.
ISMP recommends writing "intranasal". Emergency services use mucosal atomization devices that turn injectable drugs into a fine mist for IN use, avoiding needles. Absorption is limited by volume, usually about 1 mL per nostril, so concentrated formulations are preferred.
5. Indium (In)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
Every touchscreen depends on indium (atomic number 49), a soft, silvery metal consumed mainly as indium tin oxide, the transparent conductor coating LCD and OLED panels and some solar cells. Indium also forms low-melting solders and the soft seals used in cryogenic and vacuum equipment.
Example: The cryostat's vacuum flange is sealed with a soft In wire gasket.
Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymus Theodor Richter discovered indium in 1863 while examining zinc ores with a spectroscope, and named it after the brilliant indigo-blue line in its spectrum (Latin indicum). Its symbol In looks like the English word "in," which can cause confusion in tables and searches. Bending a bar of indium produces a faint creaking "cry," as with tin.
Related abbreviations
More US state abbreviations
See all 51 US state abbreviations →
More US customary and imperial unit abbreviations
- gi – Gill
- gr – Grain
- hh – Hands high
- imp – Imperial
- lb – Pound (avoirdupois)
- lbs – Pounds
- LF – Linear foot
- mi – Mile
See all 43 US customary and imperial unit abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.