Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - within

~ adv, prep 1 a) before a certain period of time has passed  (Ray left suddenly promising to be back within the hour.) b) during a certain period of time  (Her car has been broken into three times within a month. | within the space of...)  (Within the space of a year three of the town's biggest factories have closed down.) 2 inside a certain area and not beyond it  (Children must remain within the school grounds during the lunch break. | within 20 metres/50 kilometres/10 miles of etc (=less than twenty metres, fifty kilometres etc from a particular place))  (We are now within two kilometres of the centre of Istanbul. | apply/enquire within (=used on notices and advertisements especially when someone is trying to sell something))  (Baby rabbits for sale. Enquire within.) 3 inside a society, organization, or group of people  (There have been a lot of changes within the department since I joined. | from within)  (an attempt to reform the system from within) 4 according to particular limits or rules  (We have to operate within a very tight budget. | This clause is no longer valid within the terms of the new settlement.) 5 within sight/earshot etc if something is within sight, earshot etc you can see or hear it 6 within reach a) near, so that people can get there without difficulty  (We live within easy reach of the shops.) b) near enough to be picked up or touched when you stretch out your hand  (The key was hanging from a hook on the wall, just within my reach.) 7 a play within a play/a university within a university etc a small place, thing etc which exists inside a bigger place or thing of the same kind