SQL IN Operator

Last Updated : 24 Aug, 2026

The IN operator in SQL is used to filter query results by checking whether a column’s value matches any value in a specified list. It acts like a shorthand for writing multiple OR conditions, making queries cleaner and easier to read.

Syntax

SELECT column_name 
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name IN (value1, value2, .....);

Example

First, we create a demo SQL database and table, on which we will use the IN Operator command.

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Example 1: Basic Use of the IN Operator

SQL Query to get Fname and Lname of employees who have address in Tokyo, Japan, France and Paris.

Query:

SELECT fname, lname 
FROM employee
WHERE address IN ('Tokyo, Japan', 'Paris, France');

Output:

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Example 2: SQL IN and NOT IN Operators

We can use the SQL IN with the NOT operator to exclude specified data from our result.

Query:

SELECT fname 
FROM employee
WHERE address NOT IN ('Tokyo, Japan', 'London, UK');

Output:

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Note: The IN operator returns TRUE if a value matches any item in the given list or subquery result.

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