neighboring
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of neighboring
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Neighboring spins point in opposite directions, causing their magnetic effects to cancel each other out.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
Neighboring Djibouti is home to the densest cluster of foreign military bases in the world—including from the U.S.,
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Neighboring Peru would be one option, but the Peruvian government on Friday declared a state of emergency along its border with Chile, reinforcing its military surveillance to block migrants seeking to cross into the country.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
Neighboring Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, also condemned the Rafah strikes.
From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024
Neighboring diners dug into the pig, cutting pieces off it with careless abandon.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
