English Reference

Word

neighbor

Phoneticsneigh·bor

/ˈneɪbɝ/

UK spelling · neighbour

Definitions

01person living nearby

A1

n. a person who lives in a house or apartment very close to yours.

n. a person who lives in a dwelling adjacent to or near that of the speaker or subject.

“Our new neighbor brought us some cookies to say hello.”

“The neighbors reached an informal agreement regarding the maintenance of the shared fence that separated their backyards.”

American English

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'next-door' to indicate the person in the immediate adjacent house.

Synonyms

02nearby country or thing

B1

n. a country or thing that is located next to another.

n. a person, country, or thing situated near or next to another.

“Canada is a northern neighbor of the United States.”

“The two nations have remained peaceful neighbors for over a century, sharing a long and largely undefended border.”

American English

Usage

Often used metaphorically in political or geographical contexts.

Synonyms

borderer

03to be located next to

B2

v. to be located right next to something else.

v. to be situated adjacent to or in close proximity to another place or thing.

“The small park neighbors the local library.”

“The historic district neighbors the industrial zone, creating a stark visual contrast between nineteenth-century brickwork and modern steel warehouses.”

American English · Formal

Usage

This verb is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

Synonyms

adjoinborder

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference