proximal
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of proximal
1720–30; < Latin proxim ( us ) next (superlative of prope near) + -al 1
Explanation
Something that is proximal is situated closest to the point of attachment or origin. In medicine, it means closest to the center of the body. The opposite of proximal is distal and these terms are also used in geology. If you're talking about the proximal lava beds, you mean the ones closest to where the volcano erupted. Proximal is related to proximity, which means "nearness," and approximate, which means close to the original.
Vocabulary lists containing proximal
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 conclusion was written into a seminal paper on the virus published in Nature Medicine on March 17, 2020, and titled “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024
"The normal gene can be introduced in the genome of cystinotic hiPSCs, which can then be injected in the kidney to replace the defective proximal tubules of individuals with infantile cystinosis," Taub says.
From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2023
Greg and Tom were both proximal to the Roy family, but existed just beyond it.
From New York Times • May 29, 2023
"We have had to work really hard at this, working at a flat economy where the true value is the connection between the people, and the wealth is the connections forged between proximal neighbors."
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2022
The inner face of the lateral lobe bears a narrow semi-lunate black mark with the concavity toward the spiracle, the proximal end acutely pointed.
From Journal of Entomology and Zoology Volume 11, Number 4, December 1919 by Alexander, Charles P.
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.
