English Reference
adverb · noun

nearby

adv. · n.
US /ˈnɪɹˈbaɪ/ UK /niəbˈaɪ/ near·by

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    adv.at or to a short distance away.

    adv.at a short distance away; often used to describe the location of an action or object relative to the speaker.

    Simple

    My parents live nearby, so I see them almost every weekend.

    In context

    Although the main office is in the city center, several satellite branches are located nearby to serve the suburban population.

    close bynear
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency TechnicalFormal Law

    n.a financial agreement that will finish very soon.

    n.a futures contract within a specific group that has the earliest settlement or delivery date.

    Simple

    The trader looked at the price of the nearby to see the current market value.

    In context

    Institutional investors often roll over their positions from the nearby to the next available contract to avoid taking physical delivery of the commodity.

    Usage

    Usually used in the plural form 'nearbys' when referring to multiple early-delivery contracts.

    front monthspot month

Usage nearby town

Local media reported that 14 people were hospitalised in the nearby city of Split, with seven in life-threatening condition.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

I wasn't expecting that light," said Marta Miguel Tobrar, a 48-year-old illustrator visiting with her family from nearby Burgos.

The Local· 13 Aug 2026

From Middle English ner-bi, neer by, equivalent to near + by.

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

This entry
Origin Middle English ner-bi
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated