next
Americanadjective
-
immediately following in time, order, importance, etc..
the next day;
the next person in line.
-
nearest or adjacent in place or position.
the next room.
-
nearest in relationship or kinship.
adverb
-
in the place, time, importance, etc., nearest or immediately following.
We're going to London next.
This is my next oldest daughter.
-
on the first occasion to follow.
when next we meet.
preposition
idioms
-
next to,
-
adjacent to.
He sat next to his sister.
-
almost; nearly.
next to impossible.
-
aside from.
Next to cake, ice cream is my favorite dessert.
-
-
next door to,
-
in an adjacent house, apartment, office, etc.; neighboring.
-
in a position of proximity; near to.
They are next door to poverty.
-
-
get next to (someone), to get into the favor or good graces of; become a good friend of.
adjective
-
immediately following
the next patient to be examined
do it next week
-
immediately adjoining
the next room
-
closest to in degree
the tallest boy next to James
the next-best thing
-
the one after the next
adverb
-
at a time or on an occasion immediately to follow
the patient to be examined next
next, he started to unscrew the telephone receiver
-
-
adjacent to; at or on one side of
the house next to ours
-
following in degree
next to your mother, who do you love most?
-
almost
next to impossible
-
preposition
Etymology
Origin of next
First recorded before 900; Middle English next(e), Old English nēxt, nēhst, niehst “nighest,” superlative of nēah nigh ( see -est 1); cognate with Icelandic nǣstr, German nächst; cf. near
Explanation
If you do one thing, and then something else right afterward, you do it next. If you hear a game show host scream, "Come on down, you’re the next contestant," then you better get to the stage! If you're standing in line for ice cream right behind the person ordering a large hot fudge sundae, you're next. Things happen next in terms of time when they occur immediately after: "First we'll eat the appetizer, and next we'll eat the entree." The Old English source is niehsta, "nearest or closest." Your "next door neighbor" lives in the house or apartment right beside yours.
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.
The school also converted the Sheraton Hotel next to campus into a dorm, and took over a modern eight-story apartment building overlooking Marshall Street, a bustling social and business hub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Crucially, adult cuttlefish only live about 12 to 18 months, Katz said, "so the success of one breeding season is going to determine the population next year".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The California Energy Commission expects data center electricity use, currently 2% of the state’s demand, to double in the next 10 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
"That will make the next breeding season especially challenging."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
From now on, Don Quixote announced, "I shall proudly bear the title 'Knight of the Lions' next to my own name."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
