# proximate

/ˈpɹɑksəmət/ (US) · /pɹˈɒksɪmˌeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/proximate
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

very close in time, place, or order. You use it when something is just before or almost next to something else.

For teachers: Closest or most immediate in time, place, or causal sequence. Often denotes direct causation without intervening factors, as in discussion of legal responsibility.

## Examples

- The proximate bus stop is just around the corner.
- The report identifies the proximate cause of the outage as a failed transformer in the basement.
- While poverty created the background conditions for unrest, historians point to the sudden tax increase as the proximate trigger that turned quiet anger into open protest.

## Synonyms

close, near, next

## Antonyms

distant, remote

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often paired with 'cause' in legal contexts to mean direct cause.

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