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

As the process continues, larger clusters of nucleoids often break apart into smaller groups that settle into neighboring pearls.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 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

Humboldt Bay and the neighboring town of Eureka are home to aquaculture businesses, fisheries, environmental justice organizations, local tribes and many other residents and stakeholders whose opinions on the project differ.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

We eventually realized that if we ran out of safe land in Sudan we would have to go into the neighboring country of Kenya.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• nearby