Definition

Adjective: 1. Located or situated near or adjacent to something else: Refers to things that are close in position, often sharing a boundary or being in the immediate vicinity. 2. Having a common boundary or edge; adjoining; contiguous: Specifically describes areas, regions, or properties that touch or are next to each other.

Usage and Examples

• General Usage (Describing Proximity):

  • We get our produce from a *neighboring* farm.* (This indicates the farm is located very close by.)
  • The fire spread quickly to the *neighboring* buildings.* (This describes buildings that are adjacent or very near.)

• Specific Usage (Describing Shared Borders):

  • Canada and the United States are *neighboring* countries.* (This emphasizes they share a long common border.)
  • The noise from the *neighboring* apartment was very loud.* (This implies the apartments are side-by-side, likely sharing a wall.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Neighboring" vs. "Nearby": While similar, "neighboring" often implies a closer, more immediate adjacency or a shared border, whereas "nearby" simply means not far away.

  • We visited a *nearby* town.* (The town is in the general area.)
  • We visited a *neighboring* town.* (The town is directly next to ours, likely sharing a boundary.)

• Used attributively (before a noun): It almost always appears directly before the noun it modifies (e.g., neighboring state, neighboring house).

Variants and Related Words

• Neighbor (noun): A person living near or next to another.
  • My neighbor is very friendly.*
• Neighbor (verb): To be situated next to or very near.
  • Our property neighbors the national park.*
• Neighborhood (noun): A district or community within a town or city.
  • It's a quiet *neighborhood.
• Neighborly (adjective): Characteristic of a good neighbor; friendly.
  • It was a neighborly gesture to bring us food.*

Synonyms

• Adjacent: Next to or adjoining something else.
• Adjoining: Sharing a common border or point.
• Contiguous: Sharing a common border; touching.
• Bordering: Having a common boundary.
• Abutting: Touching along a border or at a point.

Antonyms

• Distant: Far away in space or time.
• Remote: Situated far from the main centers of population; distant.
• Separated: Kept apart; not touching or connected.

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