neighbor

[ 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 by with ).

Other Words From

• neighbor·less 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

It proves that Delaware can show America what is possible when neighbors come together.

From Washington Blade

Everything else stayed the same—their commute, where they shopped for groceries, who their neighbors were, etc.

From Fortune

Several of its neighbors in Louisiana’s industrial corridor also rank near the top of the list.

From ProPublica

Other circular earthworks of the ancestral Wichita and neighboring groups in the southern Great Plains were also built at elevated spots, Casana’s team says.

From Science News

That makes us better off than many of our friends and neighbors.

From Washington Blade

At his Tucson hacienda he is a gracious host and a good neighbor.

From The Daily Beast

After a pause she invited me in with a warm smile, as if I were a neighbor.

From The Daily Beast

Sure, your cubicle mate, neighbor, and aunt all own a Fitbit or JawBone fitness tracker.

From The Daily Beast

Selling off the extras, I saw my neighbor marvel at the scent and murmur that he wished he could afford one.

From The Daily Beast

And Hayao Miyazaki, the 73-year-old director behind hits like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, is a walking legend.

From The Daily Beast

It was father against son, brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor.

From Project Gutenberg

She passed the box to her neighbor, who uttered similar expressions to her own.

From Project Gutenberg

It is founded upon love of the neighbor, and a desire to be beloved, and to show love.

From Project Gutenberg

When what does my gentleman do but whips out an 'oss pistil as long as my harm, and shoots my left 'and neighbor dead!

From Project Gutenberg

The four shook hands solemnly with their new neighbor, then, with even a greater gusto, drank his health.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• acquaintance
• friend

How Do You Spell Neighbor?

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.