Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sharing a common boundary; touching; adjacent: "Contiguous" describes things that are physically next to each other, sharing a border or edge.
   • Connecting without a break; continuous: "Contiguous" can also describe things that are unbroken or uninterrupted in sequence, forming a continuous whole.
   • Very close or connected in space or time: "Contiguous" can imply immediate proximity or connection, either spatially or temporally.

Usage and Examples

• Describing physical adjacency:

  • Canada is contiguous with the United States. (Canada shares a long border with the United States.)
  • The farmer owned three contiguous fields. (The farmer owned three fields that were next to each other, sharing boundaries.)

• Describing an unbroken sequence or area:

  • The 48 contiguous states of the U.S. are all connected. (The 48 states are all touching, forming one continuous landmass.)
  • She lives in the contiguous county. (She lives in the neighboring county that shares a border.)

• Describing close connection in time:

  • The report detailed a series of contiguous events. (The report detailed a series of events that happened one right after the other.)

Advanced Usage

• "Contiguous to": This is a formal prepositional phrase meaning "adjacent to" or "bordering on."
  • Their property is contiguous to the national park. (Their property shares a border with the national park.)

Variants and Related Words

• Contiguity (noun): The state of being contiguous; adjacency.
  • The contiguity of the two rooms made them feel like one large space.
• Contiguously (adverb): In a contiguous manner.
  • The states are arranged contiguously along the coast.

Synonyms

• Adjacent: Next to or adjoining something else.
• Adjoining: Sharing a common border or connected.
• Abutting: Touching or bordering on.
• Neighboring: Situated or living next to or near.
• Conterminous: Having the same boundaries or limits; coextensive.

Antonyms

• Noncontiguous: Not contiguous; separated.
• Disconnected: Not joined or linked.
• Separated: Kept apart; not touching.

Notes on Meaning

• Geographic vs. Temporal: The primary meaning is geographic (touching land areas). The temporal meaning (events in immediate sequence) is less common but valid.
• "Contiguous" vs. "Continuous": While both can mean "unbroken," "contiguous" strongly implies shared boundaries between distinct units (like states or properties). "Continuous" describes an unbroken flow or substance without internal divisions (like a continuous line or a continuous noise). The 48 states are all touching; a road has no interruptions.

Adjective

1. having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching; Massachusetts and Conncecticut"
   • Rhode Island has two bordering states
   • the side of Germany conterminous with France
   • Utah and the contiguous state of Idaho
   • neighboring cities
2. connecting without a break; within a common boundary
   • the 48 conterminous states
   • the contiguous 48 states
3. very close or connected in space or time
   • contiguous events
   • immediate contact
   • the immediate vicinity
   • the immediate past