1
: immediately adjacent (as in place, rank, or time)
2
: any other considered hypothetically
knew it as well as the next man
see also next to nothing
: nearest or adjacent to
1
: in the time, place, or order nearest or immediately succeeding
next we drove home
the next closest school
2
: on the first occasion to come
when next we meet
: one that is next
from one day to the next
Examples of next in a Sentence
Adjective
I'll see you next Monday.
Next year's party will be even better.
the very next thing that happened
Can I help the next person in line? Who's next?
We could hear people talking in the next room.
At the next set of lights, turn left.
I need the next size up.
The next time we will see each other will be on our wedding day.
Next time, please remember to bring your books to class.
She knew the answer as well as the next person.
Adverb
Next, I need to ask you a few questions about your family.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Crystal Palace have three home games in their next four, with Manchester City the next visitors to Selhurst Park.
—Holly Shand, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Republicans and Democrats will select their candidates for the statewide office at state party conventions next year.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
If regenerative implants become common, what medical challenge should researchers focus on next?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Malcolm’s cousin comes over — a super-skeevy bro named Darren (played by Birkett Turton like a depraved Carson Daly), who brings along an Eastern-European-model-who-speaks-next-to-no-English named Minka (Eden Weiss).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for next
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Crystal Palace have three home games in their next four, with Manchester City the next visitors to Selhurst Park.
—Holly Shand, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
Preposition
Republicans passed a massive tax cut, but the bulk of that bill was dedicated to preventing a tax increase next year.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Republicans and Democrats will select their candidates for the statewide office at state party conventions next year.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Adverb
After tackling the class struggle of an old-money family in the first Knives Out and the toxic culture of the tech elite in Glass Onion, where could Blanc go next?
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
If regenerative implants become common, what medical challenge should researchers focus on next?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Noun
On the next, Jalen Hurts threw an interception.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Malcolm’s cousin comes over — a super-skeevy bro named Darren (played by Birkett Turton like a depraved Carson Daly), who brings along an Eastern-European-model-who-speaks-next-to-no-English named Minka (Eden Weiss).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for next
Cite this Entry
“Next.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
next
1 of 3 adjective
: coming immediately before or following
the next page
the house next to ours
next
2 of 3 preposition(ˈ)nekst
next
3 of 3 adverbˈnekst
1
: in the nearest time, place, or order following
open this package next
2
: at the first time to come after this
when next we meet
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