inning
MediumNeutral, Sports, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
A division of a game, especially in baseball or softball, in which both teams have a turn to bat and the other to field.
A period of activity, control, or opportunity for a person or group, such as a turn to govern or an opportunity to take action. Also used metaphorically.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While primarily a sports term, it can be used in broader contexts to denote a phase, period, or turn. 'Inning' is countable (innings). In British English, 'innings' is used for both singular and plural in cricket, while in baseball (AmE/BrE), 'inning' and 'innings' are used as singular and plural respectively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK English, the term is almost exclusively associated with cricket (a single 'innings', plural 'innings') and is a key concept. In US English, it is overwhelmingly associated with baseball/softball. The metaphorical use ('a good innings' meaning a long life) is common in UK English but rare in US English.
Connotations
UK: Often tied to cricket, tradition, and the metaphorical 'innings' of life. US: Strongly tied to baseball, strategy, and phases of a competitive game.
Frequency
High frequency in US sports journalism. Medium-high frequency in UK sports journalism (cricket context). Low frequency in general discourse in both varieties, except for specific metaphors in UK English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
in the [ordinal number] inningat the bottom of the inningan inning of [quality, e.g., great pitching]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a good innings (BrE, metaphorical): a long and successful life.”
- “not out of the inning: still having a chance to succeed.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'The company had its inning as market leader before new competitors emerged.'
Academic
Rare; may appear in historical or sociological analysis of sports.
Everyday
Common when discussing baseball (AmE) or cricket (BrE). The metaphorical 'good innings' is used in BrE in everyday conversation about life.
Technical
Sports statistics and commentary, with specific rules defining its start, end, and events.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- To be inning is not a standard verb form. The related verb is 'to bat' or 'to have an innings'.
American English
- Not applicable. 'Inning' is a noun. The related action is 'to pitch an inning'.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- The inning-ending double play was spectacular.
- They brought in their inning pitcher.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The game has nine innings.
- He batted in the first inning.
- Our team scored three runs in the final inning to win.
- The pitcher threw well for six innings.
- A controversial call in the seventh inning changed the momentum of the entire game.
- At 95, she'd had a good innings, as they say in cricket.
- The new government has had a rocky first innings, struggling to implement its manifesto pledges.
- The corporation's current financial inning is characterised by aggressive overseas expansion and high-risk investment.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
An INNING is a team's IN-ning (a turn to be IN the game, batting).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS AN INNINGS (BrE) / AN OPPORTUNITY IS AN INNING.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not directly translate as 'игра'. In baseball/cricket context, use 'иннинг'. For the BrE metaphor, it does not correspond to any single Russian sports term.
- Avoid confusing with 'inning' as a gerund from 'to inn' (which is not a standard verb).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'inning' for cricket singular (should be 'innings' in BrE).
- Using 'innings' as singular in baseball (should be 'inning' for singular).
- Incorrect: 'He played good inning.' Correct: 'He played a good innings.' (BrE) or 'He had a good inning.' (AmE).
Practice
Quiz
In British English, the phrase 'a good innings' most commonly refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but primarily in the context of baseball (a sport with UK participation). The much more common term in UK sports is 'innings' (singular and plural) for cricket. The metaphorical phrase 'a good innings' is very common in BrE.
Yes, especially in political or business journalism to metaphorically denote a period of control or opportunity (e.g., 'the opposition's inning in parliament'). This usage is more common in American English.
In baseball/softball: 'innings'. In cricket: the word 'innings' serves as both singular and plural. Do not use 'inninging' or 'inningses'.
In baseball/softball, the game is divided into halves for each inning. The 'top' is the first half, where the visiting team bats. The 'bottom' is the second half, where the home team bats. The home team has the advantage of batting last.