neighboring

American  

[ney-ber-ing] / ˈneɪ bər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. situated or living near; adjacent.

   to visit the neighboring towns.

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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

It’s a combination of his hometown and the neighboring counties.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

"Each year, we have thousands of students visit us from across Georgia and neighboring states," the Tellus Science Museum's director of education, Hannah Eisla, explained.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

In his downtime he would travel by horse and buggy across Pennsylvania and neighboring states with what he called his "exhibition": a new-fangled Edison phonograph, a magic lantern slide projector and later on, movies.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

France generates about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, maintaining low emissions while exporting energy to neighboring nations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Though the Puritans’ slaughter of the Pequots was devastating, they continued to fear retaliation by the surviving Pequots who had sought refuge among neighboring nations.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• nearby