neighbor

1 of 3

noun

neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər How to pronounce neighbor (audio)
1
: one living or located near another
had lunch with her next-door neighbor
2
: fellow man
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyselfMatthew 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 How to pronounce neighbor (audio)

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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The arguments between the neighbors began over a tree planted between their homes, but quickly escalated, according to court documents. Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 The indictment alleged Hankison deprived Taylor of the right to be free from unreasonable seizures and deprived her neighbors of the right to be free from the deprivation of liberty without due process of law. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Some non-neighbor friends are appalled. Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2022
Verb
The incident sparked a large emergency response that included local authorities, the Georgia State Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and sheriff's deputies from McIntosh County and neighboring Camden County, as well as the McIntosh County Fire Department. Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2024 In neighboring Comal County, two feral cats tested positive for rabies last month. Brooke Park, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for neighbor 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of neighbor was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near neighbor

Cite this Entry

“Neighbor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neighbor. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

neighbor

1 of 2 noun
neigh·​bor ˈnā-bər How to pronounce neighbor (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on neighbor

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