adjoin
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to be close to or in contact with; abut on.
His property adjoins the lake.
-
to attach or append; affix.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to be next to (an area of land, etc)
-
to join; affix or attach
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
adjoinsimple
-
adjoinssimple
-
have adjoinedperfect
-
has adjoinedperfect
-
am adjoiningprogressive
-
are adjoiningprogressive
-
is adjoiningprogressive
-
have been adjoiningperfect progressive
-
has been adjoiningperfect progressive
Past
-
adjoinedsimple
-
had adjoinedperfect
-
was adjoiningprogressive
-
were adjoiningprogressive
-
had been adjoiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adjoin
1275–1325; Middle English a ( d ) joinen < Middle French ajoindre. See ad-, join
Explanation
Things that adjoin are next to each other or share a boundary. Two adjoining states are neighbors. The United States adjoins Canada. Just as the word join suggests togetherness, things that adjoin are together in a specific way. They're adjacent, which means they're butting right up against one other. Two adjoining buildings are connected or next-door neighbors. Two adjoining states share a border. If two rooms adjoin, they are connected by a door or they share a wall. When things adjoin, they have a physical connection.
Vocabulary lists containing adjoin
Close Encounters: Synonyms for "Near"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Dawes Act
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Marrow Thieves
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Both areas adjoin waste land leading to the entrance to the tunnel system where Noah's body was found.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Both major projects will adjoin the new transport infrastructure.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2023
Citing previous Court opinions, the plurality stated that an adjacent wetland must abut or adjoin a regulated water.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
A large dressing room with built-in shelving and a bathroom with dual vanities, a frameless glass shower and a separate soaking tub adjoin the bedroom.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 25, 2022
This 'dining hall' where I now sit, however, is a modem annexe built to adjoin the main building - a long, flat room characterized by rows of large windows on either side.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
The result expands the scope of Americana at a moment when that roots-oriented genre — and the larger country-music realm it adjoins — are facing complicated questions about representation and inclusion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
The Barents Sea, which adjoins the Arctic Ocean, is one of the most productive oceanic areas in the world and home to an enormous diversity of organisms.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2023
“We feel that enough’s enough,” said Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, one of the most vulnerable first-term Republicans, who represents a New York district that adjoins Santos’.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
But last summer the house that adjoins their own started receiving a stream of male visitors at all hours of the day.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2023
One rumor originating in Hartman’s Cafe involved Taylor Jones, a rancher whose property adjoins River Valley Farm.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
If data centers occupy the caverns, any improper water management or heat discharge could quickly become an immediate risk to adjoined residential neighborhoods.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2023
So I went to my room, that adjoined Father’s, and wasted time on my phone screen, and thought how I could be doing this at home, and fell asleep.
From Slate ● Dec. 29, 2020
It was a 24-hour car service facility and parking structure for the theater and adjoined Pellissier Building office tower and shops.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2020
They’d been adjoined ever since Francis snapped up DeBoer nearly a year ahead of schedule the summer of 2020.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 31, 2019
It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
Three indoor privies were lighted by skylights and ingeniously ventilated by a 150-foot-long lateral tunnel that drew in air and discharged it through adjoining chimneys, providing a continuous draft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
She then moved to the adjoining well-being garden where patients and staff can take a moment to pause and reflect and spoke to patients undergoing treatment.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Rowbottom and Lindsey work side by side from adjoining desks in their lofted home office, a French bulldog named Jammy snoring between them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
To get to the trapped man, firefighters cut open another section of an adjoining wall along Main Street and rescued Isaac Valencia, who had been trapped there for 10 hours, according to officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
And he and Harry let themselves into adjoining cubicles.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
