neighbor

American  

[nay-ber] / ˈneɪ bər /

especially British, neighbour

noun

• neighbors
  plural

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?

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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 ).

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• neighborless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• neighbors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of neighbor

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English neahgebūr, nēahbūr ( nēah nigh + (ge)būr “farmer”; see Boer, boor); akin to Dutch nabuur, German Nachbar, Old Norse nābūi

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Explanation

A neighbor is a nearby person or thing. Be kind to your neighbor, for you never know when you will need to borrow sugar, a shovel, or the spare key to your house. The noun neighbor, spelled neahgebur in Old English, translates to “near” “dweller” when broken down into its individual parts. It makes sense, then, that neighbor refers to a nearby person, place, or thing. “It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours,” quipped Harry S. Truman, the 33rd American president.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neighbor neighbors

That widened Canada’s longstanding surplus with its neighbor slightly to C$12.33 billion, the highest since the start of 2025 before President Trump’s initial tariffs were imposed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

The petty feuding with Canada that has strained the usually warm relations between Michiganders and their northern neighbor.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

But Carney sought to reassure his southern neighbor Thursday by saying the United States also stood to benefit from Canada diversifying its ties.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

My neighbor showed me his kids’ Halloween costumes today; a vampire, a zombie and a clown.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Mudd introduced Booth to a neighbor, who sold Booth a peculiar one-eyed horse.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Such observations could reveal not only how companion stars influence their massive neighbors, but also how aging red supergiants lose material as they approach the final stages of their lives.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

“The white neighbors moved so fast I never met them,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Presswood knew her neighbors weren’t home either, and that no one was at the church across the street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

She now ensures her elderly friends and neighbors are aware of election deadlines, know where to vote, and have a ride to the polls if they need one.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

The neighbors are probably already wondering about us, having seen a cop at our door.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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Related Words

• acquaintance
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