in|bound / I nbaʊnd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An inbound flight is one that is arriving from another place. □ …a special inbound flight from Honduras.
in|box / I nbɒks/ (inboxes )
1 N‑COUNT An inbox is a folder on a computer or phone where emails are received. [COMPUTING ] □ The phone hasn't stopped ringing, and I have 352 emails in my inbox.
2 N‑COUNT An inbox is a shallow container used in offices to put letters and documents in before they are dealt with. [AM ]
in|bred / I nbre d/
1 ADJ Inbred means the same as inborn . □ …behaviour patterns that are inbred.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] People who are inbred have ancestors who are all closely related to each other. □ The whole population is so inbred that no genetic differences remain.
in|breed|ing / I nbriːd I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Inbreeding is the repeated breeding of closely related animals or people. □ In the 19th century, inbreeding nearly led to the extinction of the royal family.
in|built / I nb I lt/ also in-built ADJ [usu ADJ n] An inbuilt quality is one that someone has from the time they were born or that something has from the time it was produced. [mainly BRIT ] □ The children had this inbuilt awareness that not everyone was as lucky as they were. in AM, usually use built-in
inc. In written advertisements, inc. is an abbreviation for including . □ …a two-night break for £210 per person, inc. breakfast and dinner.
Inc. Inc. is an abbreviation for Incorporated when it is used after a company's name. [AM , BUSINESS ] □ …BP America Inc.
in|cal|cu|lable / I nkæ lkjʊləb ə l/ ADJ Something that is incalculable cannot be calculated or estimated because it is so great. □ He warned that the effects of any war would be incalculable.
in|can|des|cent / I nkænde s ə nt/
1 ADJ Incandescent substances or devices give out a lot of light when heated. [TECHNICAL ] □ …incandescent gases.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone or something as incandescent , you mean that they are very lively and impressive. [LITERARY ] □ Gill had an extraordinary, incandescent personality. ● in|can|des|cence N‑UNCOUNT □ She burned with an incandescence that had nothing to do with her looks.
3 ADJ If you say that someone is incandescent with rage, you mean that they are extremely angry. [LITERARY ] □ [+ with ] It makes me incandescent with fury.
in|can|ta|tion / I nkænte I ʃ ə n/ (incantations ) N‑COUNT An incantation is a series of words that a person says or sings as a magic spell. [FORMAL ] □ …strange prayers and incantations.
in|ca|pable / I nke I pəb ə l/
1 ADJ Someone who is incapable of doing something is unable to do it. □ [+ of ] She seemed incapable of taking decisions.
2 ADJ An incapable person is weak or stupid. □ He lost his job for allegedly being incapable.
in|ca|paci|tate / I nkəpæ s I te I t/ (incapacitates , incapacitating , incapacitated ) VERB If something incapacitates you, it weakens you in some way, so that you cannot do certain things. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] A serious fall incapacitated the 68-year-old congressman. ● in|ca|paci|tat|ed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ He is incapacitated and can't work.
in|ca|pac|ity / I nkəpæ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss, oft N to-inf] The incapacity of a person, society, or system to do something is their inability to do it. [FORMAL ] □ …Europe's incapacity to take collective action.
i n-car ADJ [ADJ n] In-car devices are ones that are designed to be used in a car. □ …a range of in-car entertainment systems.
in|car|cer|ate / I nkɑː r səre I t/ (incarcerates , incarcerating , incarcerated ) VERB If people are incarcerated , they are kept in a prison or other place. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. □ [V n] It can cost $40,000 to $50,000 to incarcerate a prisoner for a year. ● in|car|cera|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ …her mother's incarceration in a psychiatric hospital.
in|car|nate (incarnates , incarnating , incarnated ) The adjective is pronounced / I nkɑː r nət/. The verb is pronounced / I nkɑː r ne I t/. 1 ADJ [n ADJ ] If you say that someone is a quality incarnate , you mean that they represent that quality or are typical of it in an extreme form. □ She is evil incarnate.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ , n ADJ , ADJ n] You use incarnate to say that something, especially a god or spirit, is represented in human form. □ Why should God become incarnate as a male?
3 VERB If you say that a quality is incarnated in a person, you mean that they represent that quality or are typical of it in an extreme form. □ [be V -ed + in ] The iniquities of the regime are incarnated in one man. □ [V n] …a writer who incarnates the changing consciousness of the Americas.
4 VERB [usu passive] If you say that someone or something is incarnated in a particular form, you mean that they appear on Earth in that form. □ [be V -ed prep] The god Vishnu was incarnated on Earth as a king.
in|car|na|tion / I nkɑː r ne I ʃ ə n/ (incarnations )
1 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is the incarnation of a particular quality, you mean that they represent that quality or are typical of it in an extreme form. □ [+ of ] The regime was the very incarnation of evil.
2 N‑COUNT An incarnation is an instance of being alive on Earth in a particular form. Some religions believe that people have several incarnations in different forms. □ She began recalling a series of previous incarnations.