English Reference
adjective · noun

adjacent

adj. · n.
US /əˈdʒeɪsənt/ UK /ɐdʒˈeɪsənt/ ad·ja·cent

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    adj.describes two things that are next to each other or share a wall or border.

    adj.lying near, close, or contiguous; sharing a common boundary or border.

    Simple

    The two families lived in adjacent houses and shared a garden fence.

    In context

    The laboratory is located in the building adjacent to the main library, making it convenient for researchers to access physical archives.

    Usage

    often used with the preposition 'to'

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Informal

    adj.describes something that is not exactly the same as another thing, but is very similar or connected to it.

    adj.figuratively related to or suggestive of a particular quality or field without being a core part of it.

    Simple

    He doesn't work in tech, but he has a tech-adjacent job in marketing.

    In context

    While her primary research is in sociology, she often explores psychology-adjacent themes regarding group behavior and identity.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Math

    n.the side of a right-angled triangle that is next to a specific angle.

    n.the side of a right triangle that is adjacent to a given acute angle and is not the hypotenuse.

    Simple

    To find the cosine of the angle, you must divide the adjacent by the hypotenuse.

    In context

    The student struggled to identify the adjacent when the triangle was rotated, confusing it with the opposite side relative to the target angle.

    adjacent side

Usage make adjacent · require adjacent

Still, Montez, the parking attendant for an adjacent lot, stands guard over a lonely boat that has been left behind.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

Several Ukrainian sources said North Korea was sending a force with up to 120 ballistic missiles to Russia’s western region of Voronezh, adjacent to Ukraine, where barracks were being built for it.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- Proto-Italic *jakēō Latin iaceō Latin adiaceō Latin adiacēnsder. English adjacent Borrowed from Latin adiacēns, adiacentis, derivative of adiaceō (“to lie beside”); from ad (“to”) + iaceō (“to lie down”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin adiacēns
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated