ENGLISH
REFERENCE

inning

n.
US //ˈɪnɪŋ// UK //ˈɪnɪŋ// in·ning
  1. 1 a period of opportunity (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    a period of time when someone has the chance to do something or be in control.

    a figurative period of power, opportunity, or activity, often used to describe a person's career or life span.

    Example

    He had a good long inning as the company director before he finally retired.

    Example

    After a successful twenty-year inning in the fashion industry, she decided to sell her brand and pursue a career in landscape architecture.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'a long inning' or 'to have one's innings'.
  2. 2 harvesting (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    the act of gathering in a crop from the fields.

    the gathering or bringing in of a harvest. This sense is largely restricted to historical or regional agricultural contexts.

    Example

    The farmers worked through the night to complete the inning of the wheat before the storm.

    Example

    The records from the manor show a particularly bountiful inning that autumn, ensuring the village had enough grain for the winter months.
Origin

Back-formation from innings, mistaken to be plural of the time period, not the entries of the batters/batsmen.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026