ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nearby

adv. · n.
US //ˈnɪɹˈbaɪ// UK //niəbˈaɪ// near·by
  1. 1 at a short distance (adv.)
    A2 Elementary

    at or to a short distance away.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

  2. 2 finance/futures (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Formal Law

    a financial agreement that will finish very soon.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    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 month
    • spot month
Origin

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

Word family

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