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

Candidates for District 9 interviewed by the Southern California News Group said many residents increasingly connect ethics and accountability concerns at City Hall with broader frustrations over neighborhood conditions, city services and economic investment in the district. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 9 May 2026

Heidi Vonblum, the city’s planning director, said the delay will allow the city to help neighborhoods that have suffered from past city zoning practices, including zoning based on race or ethnicity. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026

LeBeau, who lives seven minutes from Honda Center in the Floral Park neighborhood of Santa Ana, was among the fans who weathered several frustrating seasons. —Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 9 May 2026

Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, the historic seat of Black culture in the Mile High City, brings back the free Juneteenth Music Festival for its 15th year on Saturday, June 20. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

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