vicinity

noun

vi·​cin·​i·​ty və-ˈsi-nə-tē How to pronounce vicinity (audio)
plural vicinities
1
: a surrounding area or district : neighborhood
2
3
: the quality or state of being near : proximity

Did you know?

Howdy, neighbor! Today we cozy up to vicinity, a word with neighborly origins that was welcomed into English as a French import in the 16th century from Middle French vicinité. It comes ultimately from Latin vicus, meaning "row of houses" or "village," by way of Latin vicinus, meaning "neighboring." Other descendants of vicinus in English include vicinal (a synonym of local) and vicinage, a synonym of vicinity in the sense of "a neighboring or surrounding district." Both of these are formal and rare, but vicinage is notable for giving title to the Vicinage Clause, a segment of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution that entitles an accused person to "an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law."

Examples of vicinity in a Sentence

there are no hotels in the vicinity of the hospital the vicinity of the town's only elementary school was one reason why the young couple bought the house
Recent Examples on the Web Capitol Hill residents, who had the Jan. 6 riot in their backyard, will see a bigger security perimeter for the certification of votes, which will impact how people move around that day — and even schedules for five schools in the vicinity. Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 In the second quarter of the Browns’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson fell to the ground with no player in his vicinity after receiving the ball from the center. Ben Morse, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 The medical train is thought to be a major target for Moscow and there have recently been several strikes targeting the vicinity of railway stations and other infrastructure. Alex Platt, CNN, 12 Sep. 2024 At the same time, a young woman in Indiana was seeking similar direction, and feeling the urge to travel while always gravitating toward Spanish speakers in her vicinity. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vicinity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vicinity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vicinité, from Latin vicinitat-, vicinitas, from vicinus neighboring, from vicus row of houses, village; akin to Goth weihs village, Old Church Slavic vĭsĭ, Greek oikos, oikia house

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of vicinity was in 1560

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Dictionary Entries Near vicinity

Cite this Entry

“Vicinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicinity. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

vicinity

noun
vi·​cin·​i·​ty və-ˈsin-ət-ē How to pronounce vicinity (audio)
plural vicinities
1
: a surrounding area or district
in the vicinity of her home
2
: an approximate amount, extent, or degree : neighborhood
walks in the vicinity of 20 miles a week

More from Merriam-Webster on vicinity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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