near

1 of 4

adverb

1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
sunset was drawing near
2
: almost, nearly
was near dead
3
: in a close or intimate manner : closely
near related
4
archaic : in a frugal manner

near

2 of 4

preposition

: close to
beaches near the city
seemed to be near death

near

3 of 4

adjective

1
a
: not far distant in time, place, or degree
in the near future
b
: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided
a near win in the primary
a near midair collision
c
: nearly not happening
a near escape
2
: closely related or intimately associated
her nearest and dearest friend
3
a
: being the closer of two
the near side
b
: being the left-hand one of a pair
the near wheel of a cart
4
: direct, short
the nearest road
5
6
a
: closely resembling the standard or typical
a near desert
b
: approximating the genuine
near silk
nearness noun

near

4 of 4

verb

neared; nearing; nears

Examples of near in a Sentence

Adverb The plant was near dead when I got it. as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire Preposition I left the box near the door. The cat won't go near fire. There are several beaches near here. She came home near midnight. We feared he was near death. Adjective The nearest grocery store is three blocks away. The near side headlight is out. Verb As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious. He always cheers up when baseball season nears. The airplane began to descend as it neared the island. He must be nearing 80 years of age. The negotiators were nearing a decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Regardless of the category, a life-threatening and highly destructive storm surge will occur near and just south of where the eye moves ashore, AccuWeather said. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2024 It’s hovered near or at the top of Apple’s original series rankings since its Season 4 premiere. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2024
Preposition
The School's state-of-the-art medical education facility is under construction in Bentonville, Arkansas near Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. Deb Harvell, arkansasonline.com, 27 Oct. 2024 The bar said Corder was near Wiggle Room, another bar located at 2988 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., when she was struck. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
To locate the nearest AARP TCE Tax-Aide site between January and April, use the AARP Site Locator Tool or call 888.227.7669. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 More release information, including additional festival dates, will be made available in the near future. Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
By the following spring, with the primary nearing its conclusion, Vance’s public image was still largely defined by the attack ads his rivals were running, highlighting his past anti-Trump comments. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 Topline Virginia on Monday asked the Supreme Court to take up a dispute over whether the state can purge people from its voter rolls right before Election Day, as the high court is likely to face a slew of last-minute voting lawsuits as Election Day nears. Alison Durkee, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for near 

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

Adverb, Preposition, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English ner, partly from ner nearer, from Old English nēar, comparative of nēah nigh; partly from Old Norse nær nearer, comparative of nā- nigh — more at nigh

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of near was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near near

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

near

1 of 4 adverb
1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
night was drawing near
2
: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost
near dead
3
: nearly sense 1
near related

near

2 of 4 preposition
(ˈ)ni(ə)r
: close to
standing near the door

near

3 of 4 adjective
ˈni(ə)r
1
: closely related or associated
her nearest and dearest friend
2
a
: not far away
the near future
b
: barely avoided
a near disaster
c
: almost not happening
a near victory
3
: being the closer of two
the near side of a hill
4
: direct entry 2 sense 1, short
the nearest route
5
: closely resembling a model or a genuine example
near silk
nearness noun

near

4 of 4 verb
ˈni(ə)r
: to come near : approach
the ship was nearing the dock
Etymology

Adverb

Old English nēar "nearer," comparative form of nēah "near, close" — related to neighbor, nigh see Word History at neighbor

More from Merriam-Webster on near

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