Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state of being in direct physical contact or immediately adjacent; touching or being so close as to be touching. This is the primary meaning, describing objects, places, or areas that share a common boundary or are in direct contact without any intervening space.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The contiguity of the two properties led to a dispute over the fence line.
  • The map clearly shows the contiguity of the national park and the forest reserve.
  • In urban planning, the contiguity of green spaces is important for wildlife corridors.

Advanced Usage

• "Spatial contiguity": A principle in instructional design stating that related text and images should be placed near each other on a page or screen to improve learning.

  • The textbook's effectiveness was enhanced by the spatial contiguity of the diagrams and their captions.

• "Temporal contiguity": A principle referring to the close timing of two events, often used in psychology and learning theory.

  • The temporal contiguity of the sound and the flash made it seem like they were related.

Variants and Related Words

• Contiguous (adj): Sharing a common border; touching.
  • The 48 contiguous states of the USA.
• Contiguously (adv): In a contiguous manner.
  • The farms are arranged contiguously along the river.

Synonyms

• Adjacency: The state of being next to or adjoining something else.
• Contact: The state or condition of physical touching.
• Juxtaposition: The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. (Note: This often implies a placement for comparison, whereas contiguity is more neutral).

Related Phrases

• "In contiguity with": Directly adjoining or touching something.
  • The new building was constructed in contiguity with the old library.

Notes on Meaning

While the core meaning is physical touching or adjacency, "contiguity" can also be used in a more abstract sense in fields like psychology (as noted in the reference context) to describe the close linking of ideas or experiences in the mind. However, the primary and most common usage pertains to physical proximity and contact.

Noun

1. the attribute of being so near as to be touching