contiguity

noun

con·​ti·​gu·​i·​ty ˌkän-tə-ˈgyü-ə-tē How to pronounce contiguity (audio)
plural contiguities
: the quality or state of being contiguous : proximity

Examples of contiguity in a Sentence

because of the contiguity of the mall to the border, it attracts many shoppers from out of state
Recent Examples on the Web The rationale behind contiguity is to create local districts where lawmakers live near and share common concerns with their constituents. Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023 Republican plans proposed districts with literal contiguity, but the judges opted for a Democratic approach that did not. David A. Lieb and Scott Bauer, Journal Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2023 Though the commission was legally required to consider such factors as population, contiguity, compactness, local jurisdictions and communities of interest, it was not allowed to consider the effects on political parties or politicians, officials have said. Morgan Cook, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2022 At the heart of shrinking the conflict is an effort to create territorial contiguity between Palestinian autonomous islands in the West Bank, connect this Palestinian autonomy to the wider world, and promote Palestinian economic prosperity and independence. Micah Goodman, WSJ, 14 July 2021 So the temporal-contiguity effect was confirmed in the first dataset. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2018 The required contiguity in the South Bay are is achieved through acorridor extended from San Diego along the bay to the South Bay area. San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2022 The process instead is based on 2020 census data, collective input from people throughout the county of San Diego, and apolitical criteria such as contiguity and compactness of districts. San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2021 By law the commission had to consider such factors as population, contiguity, compactness, local jurisdictions and communities of interest. San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contiguity.' 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

borrowed from Late Latin contiguitāt-, contiguitās "connection, conjunction," from Latin contiguus contiguous + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contiguity was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near contiguity

Cite this Entry

“Contiguity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contiguity. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

contiguity

noun
con·​ti·​gu·​ity
ˌkänt-ə-ˈgyü-ət-ē
: the quality or state of being contiguous

More from Merriam-Webster on contiguity

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