contiguous

adjective

con·​tig·​u·​ous kən-ˈti-gyə-wəs 

-gyü-əs

1

: being in actual contact : touching along a boundary or at a point

the 48 contiguous states

2

of angles : adjacent sense 2

3

: next or near in time or sequence

The fires were contiguous with the earthquake.

4

: touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence

contiguous row houses

contiguous vineyards

contiguously adverb

contiguousness noun

Did you know?

Time to get a little closer with contiguous, a word likely most familiar in the phrase "contiguous United States." Otherwise known as the conterminous United States, this region comprises the collective states within the U.S. that connect geographically by shared borders, as well as the nation's capital. Looking for a word to describe freestanding states like Hawaii and Alaska, or seabound territories along the lines of Guam and American Samoa? Today’s word has a direct antonym: noncontiguous. Both come from the Latin verb contingere, meaning "to be in contact with."

Synonyms

• abutting
• adjacent
• adjoining
• bordering
• conterminous
• flanking
• flush
• fringing
• joining
• juxtaposed
• neighboring
• skirting
• touching
• verging

Choose the Right Synonym for contiguous

adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, juxtaposed mean being in close proximity.

adjacent may or may not imply contact but always implies absence of anything of the same kind in between.

a house with an adjacent garage

adjoining definitely implies meeting and touching at some point or line.

had adjoining rooms at the hotel

contiguous implies having contact on all or most of one side.

offices in all 48 contiguous states

juxtaposed means placed side by side especially so as to permit comparison and contrast.

a skyscraper juxtaposed to a church

Examples of contiguous in a Sentence

And in the west, contiguous to Lebanon, was the mountain stronghold of Latakia … —Robert D. Kaplan, Atlantic, February 1993

The Santa Monica Mountains, a sort of foot-note to the big contiguous ranges, stood off to the southwest of us, discrete and small. —John McPhee, New Yorker, 26 Sept. 1988

'I've had my men looking into the land situation … and they think they could get us an additional thirty thousand acres, not all of it contiguous but we might make some trades.' —James A. Michener, Texas, 1985

Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here's a look at how Milton and past notable hurricanes — including Helene last month — that have made landfall on the contiguous United States since Sandy have compared in size at the point of landfall: Can't see our graphics? —Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024

While the Northern Lights aren’t typically visible in the contiguous United States, there are plenty of destinations travelers can go to increase their chances of seeing the amazing phenomenon from Iceland to Alaska, Finland, Sweden, and even the Scottish Highlands. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 3 Oct. 2024

Their study includes data from all tropical cyclones — which includes hurricanes and tropical storms — in the contiguous US between 1930 and 2015. —Justine Calma, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2024

By Rebecca Schneid September 29, 2024 3:24 PM EDT For the first time since April’s solar eclipse—during which eleven contiguous states in the U.S. were in the path of totality—some will be able to see another eclipse this coming week. —Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin contiguus "adjacent, neighboring" (from contig-, variant stem of contingere "to be in contact with" + -uus, deverbal adjective suffix) + -ous — more at contingent entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

contiguous

adjective

con·​tig·​u·​ous kən-ˈtig-yə-wəs 

1

: being in contact : adjoining

2

: very near though not in contact

3

: touching or connected in an unbroken series

the 48 contiguous states of the U.S.

contiguously adverb

Medical Definition

contiguous

adjective

con·​tig·​u·​ous kən-ˈtig-yə-wəs 

: being in actual contact : touching along a boundary or at a point

contiguity

ˌkänt-ə-ˈgyü-ət-ē 

noun

plural contiguities

contiguously adverb