neighbor

especially British, neigh·bour

[ney-ber]

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?

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 ).

Other Word Forms

• neighborless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neighbor¹

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

Nearby is poetry written in Anne’s hand, as well as postcards from Anne and her sister, Margot, to a neighbor in their former hometown of Frankfurt.

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The ancient Greek mindset, curious and adaptive, owes much to living amid hundreds of neighboring city-states with distinct cultures.

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But all of its neighbors, to varying degrees, are monumental in character and sit weightily on the ground.

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No attendee heard exactly the same piece as a neighbor in any other part of the hall.

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The Thai economy has been struggling to catch up with its neighbors ever since the pandemic, grappling with weak demand and slow growth.

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Related Words

• acquaintance 
• friend 

When To Use

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.