# inbound

/ˈɪnbaʊnd/ (US) · /ˈɪnbaʊnd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/inbound
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

traveling toward a specific place or coming into a system. You use this to describe people, vehicles, or messages that are arriving.

For teachers: traveling or directed toward a particular destination or center; arriving from a point of origin.

## Examples

- The airport is busy with inbound flights this morning.
- The customer service team handles over five hundred inbound calls every day from clients seeking technical support.
- Logistics managers must carefully coordinate inbound shipments of raw materials to ensure the production line never stops due to a lack of inventory.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun; frequently contrasted with 'outbound'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.