neighbor

1 of 3

noun

neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər 

1

: one living or located near another

had lunch with her next-door neighbor

2

: fellow man

thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself

—Matthew 19:19 (King James Version)

neighbor

2 of 3

adjective

: being immediately adjoining or relatively near

neighbor

3 of 3

verb

neighbored; neighboring ˈnā-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to adjoin immediately or lie relatively near to

intransitive verb

1

: to live or be located as a neighbor

2

: to associate in a neighborly way

Synonyms

Verb

• abut
• adjoin
• border (on)
• butt (on or against)
• flank
• fringe
• join
• march (with)
• skirt
• touch
• verge (on)

Examples of neighbor in a Sentence

Noun

We invited our friends and neighbors.

Canada is a neighbor of the U.S.

Venus is Earth's nearest neighbor.

Verb

the baseball field neighbors a parking lot

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Potentially the biggest beneficiary of Assad’s departure is Turkey, a longtime opposition backer that hosts some 3.2 million Syrian refugees and which controls swaths of its southern neighbor’s borderlands. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024

Under Bashar Assad, Syria maintained its dominance over Lebanon, its smaller, weaker neighbor. —Greg Myre, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Some non-neighbor friends are appalled. —Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2022

Verb

The guest suites — located in the main historic building and three neighboring wooden towers — all have views of the soaring mountains in the distance. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024

This unexpected turn of events has caused widespread uncertainty, prompting many Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring Lebanon. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English nēahgebūr (akin to Old High German nāhgibūr); akin to Old English nēah near and Old English gebūr dweller — more at nigh, boor

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing neighbor

• beggar-thy-neighbor
• good-neighbor
• next-door neighbor

Kids Definition

neighbor

1 of 2 noun

neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər 

1

: a person who lives near another

2

: a person or thing located near another

Canada is a neighbor of the U.S.

3

: a fellow human being

neighbor

2 of 2 verb

neighbored; neighboring

-b(ə-)riŋ

: to be next to or near to

neighboring towns

Etymology

Noun

Old English nēahgebūr "neighbor," from nēah "near" + gebūr "dweller" — related to near, nigh

Word Origin

The words near and nigh are both related to—and have the same meaning as—the Old English word nēah. Another word which can be traced, at least in part, to nēah is neighbor. The combination of nēah, meaning "near," and gebūr, meaning "dweller," produced the Old English word nēahgebūr. This word was used for "a person living near another." The pronunciation and spelling of nēahgebūr has changed over the centuries to give us neighbor, but the word's basic meaning has remained the same.