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Synonyms

neighborly

American  
[ney-ber-lee] / ˈneɪ bər li /

adjective

  1. having or showing qualities befitting a neighbor; friendly.


Other Word Forms

  • neighborliness noun
  • unneighborliness noun
  • unneighborly adjective

Etymology

Origin of neighborly

First recorded in 1515–25; neighbor + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That’s something maybe the mayor would have to put as a moral question to the city, asking New Yorkers to do the neighborly thing: keeping all of our sidewalks and communities clean for everyone else.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

We aren’t that many years removed from the neighborly “Be Kind, Rewind” stickers on rented videocassettes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

I love both of these examples because they point to a particular strain of hospitality — the set it and forget it invite — that works especially well for building neighborly connections.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were described as private but neighborly by those who got to know them over many years.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025

No neighborly talk, and wouldn’t talk about Granny, either.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns