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definitions

next

[ nekst ]
/ nɛkst /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR next ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

adjacent to; nearest: It's in the closet next the blackboard.

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RELATED WORDS

neighboring, adjoining, beside, bordering, close, conterminous, meeting, near, nearby, next, touching, abutting, approximal, contactual, juxtaposed, juxtapositional, parallel, sideways, against, till

Nearby words

  1. newtonian mechanics,
  2. newtonian telescope,
  3. newtown,
  4. newtown st boswells,
  5. newtownabbey,
  6. next door,
  7. next door to,
  8. next friend,
  9. next of kin,
  10. next to

Idioms

Origin of next

before 900; Middle English next(e), Old English nēxt, nēhst, niehst, superlative of nēah nigh (see -est1); cognate with Icelandic nǣstr, German nächst; cf. near
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for next to

next

/ (nɛkst) /

adjective

adverb

at a time or on an occasion immediately to followthe patient to be examined next; next, he started to unscrew the telephone receiver
next to
  1. adjacent to; at or on one side ofthe house next to ours
  2. following in degreenext to your mother, who do you love most?
  3. almostnext to impossible

preposition

archaic next to

Word Origin for next

Old English nēhst, superlative of nēah nigh; compare near, neighbour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for next to

next

adj.

Old English niehsta, nyhsta (West Saxon), nesta (Anglian) "nearest, closest," superlative of neah (West Saxon), neh (Anglian) "nigh;" from Proto-Germanic *nekh- "near" + superlative suffix *-istaz. Cognate with Old Norse næstr, Dutch naast "next," Old High German nahisto "neighbor," German nächst "next." Adverbial and prepositional use from c.1200. Phrase the next person "a typical person" is from 1857.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with next to

next to

1

Adjacent to, as in The car next to mine has a flat tire, [Late 1300s]

2

Following in order or degree, as in Next to skiing, she likes hiking. [Early 1500s]

3

Almost, practically, as in It's next to impossible to predict the outcome, or I earned next to nothing last year. [Second half of 1600s]

next

In addition to the idioms beginning with next

  • next door to
  • next to

also see:

  • cleanliness is next to godliness
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.