neighboring

American  

[ney-ber-ing] / ˈneɪ bər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. situated or living near; adjacent.

   to visit the neighboring towns.

---

Etymology

Origin of neighboring

First recorded in 1595–1605; neighbor + -ing ²

Explanation

An object that's neighboring is right next to something else. Neighboring countries share a common border, and neighboring cars are parked side-by-side. In a restaurant, if someone at the neighboring table starts telling terrible jokes, you'll have to listen, since they're adjacent to your table. And if you live in Maine, New Hampshire is the only neighboring state. The adjective neighboring comes from the verb form of neighbor, which is rooted in the Old English words neah, "near," and gebur, "dweller."

Example Sentences

Neighboring countries now treated as nonplayer characters can, in fact, act in countless ways to disarm this threat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Neighboring Turkey, with its large Iranian community and major global airport in Istanbul, is a key transit point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Neighboring Uzbekistan also boasts significant reserves of USGS-designated high risk critical minerals, such as magnesium and potash.

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

Neighboring campers, who included an obstetrician and other medical professionals, scrambled to tend to baby Aurora, who entered the world at a little over 3½ pounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2025

Neighboring diners dug into the pig, cutting pieces off it with careless abandon.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• nearby