contiguous

[kuhn-tig-yoo-uhs]

adjective

1. touching; in contact.

   Synonyms: adjoining

2. in close proximity without actually touching; near.

   Synonyms: adjacent

3. adjacent in time.

   contiguous events.

contiguous

/ kənˈtɪɡjʊəs, ˌkɒntɪˈɡjuːɪtɪ /

adjective

1. touching along the side or boundary; in contact

2. physically adjacent; neighbouring

3. preceding or following in time

Other Word Forms

• contiguously adverb
• contiguousness noun
• noncontiguous adjective
• noncontiguously adverb
• noncontiguousness noun
• uncontiguous adjective
• uncontiguously adverb
• uncontiguousness noun
• contiguity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contiguous¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin contiguus “touching, bordering upon,“ equivalent to prefix con- “with, together” + tig- (variant stem of -tingere, combining form of tangere “to touch”) + -uus adjective suffix; con-, tangent, contingent, contact; -ous, continuous

Word History and Origins

Origin of contiguous¹

C17: from Latin contiguus, from contingere to touch; see _contact

Example Sentences

The panel works to create districts for state lawmakers and for members of Congress that are contiguous and roughly equal in population.

From Los Angeles Times

Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous U.S. at 14,505 feet.

From Los Angeles Times

Rights groups say it would effectively split the West Bank in two, destroying hopes of a contiguous Palestinian state.

From BBC

By increasing the amount of contiguous meeting space, L.A. will be able to attract national events, accommodating tens of thousands of visitors at a single convention, they said.

From Los Angeles Times

But European settlers viewed them as a mortal threat to people and livestock and hunted them to near extinction, reducing their number to less than 1,000 in the contiguous U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adjoining 
• neighboring