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

The massive instrument, labeled across its front, is even more fun to strike than it is to look at—though I hope the exhibitors brought earplugs for those manning the neighboring booths.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Hustled from the scene by a neighboring florist, she meets the vigilant but eccentric Neighborhood Watch group at the home of reclusive former detective Augusta Dupin.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus was first discovered in 1996 in the neighboring town of El Bolson, and it was later found to have happened in Epuyen.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

But its legendary waters are increasingly off-limits, fouled by sewage-tainted wastewater—as much as 30 million gallons a day—from neighboring Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

The boys and girls had traveled by train and on foot from all over Germany and neighboring countries.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• nearby