# contiguous

/kənˈtɪɡjuəs/ (US) · /kəntˈɪɡjuːəs/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/contiguous
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

sharing a border or touching along one side. You use this to describe things like rooms, countries, or states that are next to each other without any gaps.

For teachers: sharing a common border or touching along an edge; adjacent in space or time. Often used in legal or geographical contexts to describe physical proximity.

## Examples

- The two offices are contiguous and share a door.
- The United States consists of forty-eight contiguous states plus Alaska and Hawaii.
- The developer purchased several contiguous plots of land to ensure the new shopping complex would have a unified and uninterrupted footprint.

## Usage notes

- Often followed by the preposition 'with'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.