neighbor

American  

[ney-ber] / ˈneɪ bər /

especially British, neighbour

noun

1. a person who lives near another.

   My next door neighbor has an orange cat.

2. a person or thing that is near another.

3. one's fellow human being.

   You must be generous toward your less fortunate neighbors.

4. a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward others.

   She's always a neighbor to people in distress.

5. (used as a term of address, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger).

   Tell me, neighbor, which way to town?

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adjective

1. situated or living near another.

   One of our neighbor nations is in need of aid.

verb (used with object)

1. to live or be situated near to; adjoin; border on.

   Germany neighbors Denmark.

2. to place or bring near.

verb (used without object)

1. to live or be situated nearby.

2. to associate with or as if with one's neighbors; be neighborly or friendly (often followed bywith ).

Usage

Spelling tips for neighbor The word neighbor is hard to spell because it is spelled differently from the way it is pronounced [ ney-ber ]. To make it even more confusing, neighbor is the American English spelling of the word. In British English, it is spelled with a u: neighbour. How to spell neighbor: The easiest way to remember how to spell neighbor is with the classic mnemonic device: I before E, except after C, except when it's EIGH [ ey ], as in neighbor or weigh.

Other Word Forms

• neighborless adjective

Etymology

Origin of neighbor

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English neahgebūr, nēahbūr ( nēah nigh + (ge)būr “farmer”; Boer, boor ); akin to Dutch nabuur, German Nachbar, Old Norse nābūi

Example Sentences

It makes neighbors of Lebanon, Lichtenstein and Lithuania, and so on, equal in standing if not in size.

From Los Angeles Times

Camilo Castro, who has Chilean origins, was detained on June 26, 2025 after crossing into Venezuela from neighboring Colombia, where he lived.

From Barron's

Aramayo said that while Bolivia would not renounce its claim over its sea access, it "had every desire" to restore full ties with its neighbor.

From Barron's

Only neighboring qubits can interact, which limits how operations can be carried out.

From Science Daily

John Woodall learned his trade as a ship’s surgeon when England’s navy fought bitter and bloody wars with her neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acquaintance
• friend