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 In 2021, a massive spill of as much as 131,000 gallons of oil in the same vicinity prompted officials to close area beaches for about a week. Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 In a Facebook post, Clinton Township police asked residents to avoid the area after several people swarmed the streets in the vicinity, stressing that debris was being projected into the air and falling as far as a mile away from the explosion. Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 The vicinity of Citi Field in Queens is the focus of a gambling house by Point72 Asset Management’s Steve Cohen, while the Soloviev Group plans to team up with Mohegan for an entertainment district by the United Nations. Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In the immediate vicinity of venues, spending at hotels and the like increased 47 percent, while the larger area saw a 32 percent bump. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024 Reducing air pollution is important, but solutions must not impose imminent threats to mariner safety and everyone in the vicinity. Jasmeet Bains, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024 Those outside of that vicinity can use their discretion on whether to remain open. Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2024 However, the cost of rent and the percentage of single people in the vicinity were much lower than in Tokyo. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Though the judge imposed a strict protection order, Crowe then apparently bee-lined back to the vicinity of Swift’s apartment, where he was arrested for a third time and charged with criminal contempt. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 9 Feb. 2024

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 Slavonic 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 18 Mar. 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

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