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

In the District of Columbia all families have access to two full years of pre-kindergarten, while neighboring Virginia has a far less robust program.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Velasco is reported to be a regular participant in the frequent Sheinbaum-Trump phone confabs — conversations that have emerged as key indicators of how things are going between the neighboring nations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Soon, factory workers in a neighboring state took to the streets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

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

He was bothered by the people who cheered him in neighboring villages, and he imagined that they were the same cheers they gave the enemy.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• nearby