neighborhood

American  

[ney-ber-hood] / ˈneɪ bərˌhʊd /

noun

• neighborhoods
  plural

1. the area or region around or near some place or thing; vicinity.

   the kids of the neighborhood; located in the neighborhood of Jackson and Vine streets.

2. a district or locality, often with reference to its character or inhabitants.

   a fashionable neighborhood; to move to a nicer neighborhood.

   Synonyms:

   vicinity, locale, area, community

3. a number of persons living near one another or in a particular locality.

   The whole neighborhood was there.

4. neighborly feeling or conduct.

5. nearness; proximity.

   to sense the neighborhood of trouble.

6. Mathematics. an open set that contains a given point.

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idioms

1. in the neighborhood of, approximately; nearly; about.

   She looks to be in the neighborhood of 70.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• neighborhoods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of neighborhood

First recorded in 1400–50, neighborhood is from the late Middle English word neighborehode. See neighbor, -hood

Explanation

Use the noun neighborhood when you're talking about a community within a town or city. Getting to know the people and places in your neighborhood can make you feel right at home in a city of millions. A neighborhood can be created by lines on a map that designate a district, or it can grow over time to become a neighborhood with a certain personality, based on who lives there. You can also use neighborhood to describe something nearby, like promising to visit a friend the next time you are in the neighborhood — or something that's approximate, like a restaurants whose burgers are in the neighborhood of ten dollars.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neighborhood neighborhoods

Rowan said he was aware the neighborhood would be hostile based on battles it had with the previous owner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Like a neighborhood bar or a bowling alley, the internet was a place you could reliably go to have fun and occasionally learn something from semi-strangers who shared your interests.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Holt received a sentence of 20 hours of community service and was required to write letters of apology to the school and neighborhood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

The fire started Aug. 9 in the Los Padres National Forest southeast of the Loma Vista neighborhood, quickly scorching 400 acres and prompting evacuation orders, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

“I’m saying that maybe when this other blueprint was created, the neighborhood was called ‘Brightwood.’

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Even though “war” is somewhat metaphorical here, it has always been waged like one, with military-grade equipment used to police neighborhoods, support clandestine spying operations and aid in the invasion of cities.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

Gaspar said District 3 is already doing its part to bring in new housing development in areas like Warner Center, and he remains skeptical of increasing density in single-family home neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Baltimore used to address its vacant issue on a citywide basis, sprinkling funds across neighborhoods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Unfortunately, many Americans don’t always have the time or live in safe enough neighborhoods to exercise, which can make the diet’s lifestyle components tricky to adopt.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

I shuttled between meetings with various department heads, worked with the staffs of city commissioners, and was dispatched sometimes to different neighborhoods around Chicago to follow up on personal complaints received by the mayor.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• area
• block
• district
• parish
• part
• precinct
• region
• section
• street
• suburb
• territory
• zone