neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

1

: neighborly relationship

… a closer feeling of brotherhood, a more efficient sense of neighborhood …

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

2

: the quality or state of being neighbors : proximity

… refugees from the country, driven by fear or the neighborhood of armies.

—F. L. Paxson

3

a

: a place or region near : vicinity

somewhere in the neighborhood of that city

b

: an approximate amount, extent, or degree

cost in the neighborhood of $100

4

a

: the people living near one another

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

b

: a section lived in by neighbors and usually having distinguishing characteristics

a quiet neighborhood

5

: the set (see set entry 2 sense 21) of all points belonging to a given set whose distances from a given point are less than a given positive (see positive entry 1 sense 4e) number

broadly : a set that contains a neighborhood

Synonyms of neighborhood

• vicinity
• tune

Examples of neighborhood in a Sentence

They bought a house in a beautiful neighborhood.

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

Recent Examples on the Web

The next day, Hunter Gubeno was delivering bags of potatoes to some of the 1,750 families that lined up for a drive-through Freestore holiday meal giveaway in the city's Roselawn neighborhood. —Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Dec. 2025

While Reiner and his family called the estate in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood home for decades, its ties to Hollywood go back to its creation. —Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 21 Dec. 2025

There’s a great local bakery with plenty of sweet treats in my neighborhood, but Sister Schubert’s Cinnamon Rolls always save the day in a pinch. —Brennan Long, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025

Play Tourist in Your Own Town Load everyone into the car in their pajamas with a thermos of hot cocoa and go on a holiday-lights tour of the neighborhood. —Caylin Harris, Parents, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing neighborhood

• in the neighborhood
• in the neighborhood of
• neighborhood watch

Rhymes for neighborhood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood

Kids Definition

neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

1

: the quality or state of being neighbors

2

a

: a place or region near : vicinity

b

: a number or amount near

cost in the neighborhood of $10

3

a

: the people living near one another

b

: a section lived in by people who consider themselves neighbors