neighbor

1 of 3

noun

neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər 

1

: one living or located near another

had lunch with her next-door neighbor

2

: fellow man

… thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

—Matthew 19:19 (King James Version)

neighbor

2 of 3

adjective

: being immediately adjoining or relatively near

neighbor

3 of 3

verb

neighbored; neighboring ˈnā-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to adjoin immediately or lie relatively near to

intransitive verb

1

: to live or be located as a neighbor

2

: to associate in a neighborly way

Synonyms of neighbor

Verb

• join
• touch
• adjoin
• flank
• surround

Examples of neighbor in a Sentence

Noun

We invited our friends and neighbors.

Canada is a neighbor of the U.S.

Venus is Earth's nearest neighbor.

Verb

the baseball field neighbors a parking lot

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Gangers, who neighbors estimated came to live in town about five years ago, were either not home or did not answer their door on Thursday. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026

According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Adjective

The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025

Some non-neighbor friends are appalled. —Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2022

Verb

Though this is the high tourism season on the island, locals affirm that Vieques never feels crowded like other neighboring Caribbean islands do. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 2 Jan. 2026

The latest examples are in neighboring Indiana, where the Department of Energy late last month ordered utilities not to close two aging power stations that otherwise would have been taken out of service by the end of last month. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English nēahgebūr (akin to Old High German nāhgibūr); akin to Old English nēah near and Old English gebūr dweller — more at nigh, boor

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing neighbor

• beggar-thy-neighbor
• good-neighbor
• next-door neighbor

Rhymes for neighbor

• labor
• neighbour
• saber
• sabre
• tabor
• belabor
• nonlabor

Kids Definition

neighbor

1 of 2 noun

neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər 

1

: a person who lives near another

2

: a person or thing located near another

Canada is a neighbor of the U.S.

3

: a fellow human being

neighbor

2 of 2 verb

neighbored; neighboring

-b(ə-)riŋ

: to be next to or near to

neighboring towns

Etymology

Noun

Old English nēahgebūr "neighbor," from nēah "near" + gebūr "dweller" — related to near, nigh

Word Origin

The words near and nigh are both related to—and have the same meaning as—the Old English word nēah. Another word which can be traced, at least in part, to nēah is neighbor. The combination of nēah, meaning "near," and gebūr, meaning "dweller," produced the Old English word nēahgebūr. This word was used for "a person living near another." The pronunciation and spelling of nēahgebūr has changed over the centuries to give us neighbor, but the word's basic meaning has remained the same.