neighborhood

noun neigh·bor·hood \ ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of neighborhood

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

traveled to a place 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

lived in a quiet neighborhood

5 : the set (see ²set 21) of all points belonging to a given set whose distances from a given point are less than a given positive (see ¹positive 4e) number; broadly : a set that contains a neighborhood

See neighborhood defined for English-language learners

See neighborhood defined for kids

Examples of neighborhood in a Sentence

They bought a house in a beautiful neighborhood.
The whole neighborhood heard about it.

Recent Examples of neighborhood from the Web

After police blocked the exit to the neighborhood, the Explorer stopped at the intersection of Constellation and Maxa Drives.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "He took his 9-year-old daughter and a mini-keg along for a 114 mph ride, Texas cops say | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 11 Apr. 2018
Others who want the village removed say the site is unsanitary and draws drugs and crime to the neighborhood.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "Talk it Out: Should Akron's Second Chance Village homeless encampment stay or go?," 11 Apr. 2018
This has been an ongoing debate in the Legislature since French Quarter residents passed a tax three years ago to bring a permanent state police presence to the neighborhood.

— hanna krueger, NOLA.com, "Man shot near I-10 and Elysian Fields Avenue: NOPD," 10 Apr. 2018
As residents’ visits to Marawi began, three New York Times journalists were given exclusive access both to those neighborhoods and to some parts of the city still cut off to civilians and littered with ordnance and rubble.

— ben c. solomon and felipe villamor, New York Times, "Filipinos Get a Glimpse of Their Ruined City. The Chinese Get the Contract.," 10 Apr. 2018
The Bulgarian artist, who with his wife, Jeanne-Claude, was famed for enshrouding massive structures in plastic sheathing hasn’t come to the Arlington County neighborhood, but four buildings there have received a fresh coat of . . .

— john kelly, Washington Post, "Four buildings in Crystal City are covered in bright fabric. Why?," 9 Apr. 2018
Activists in the street have railed against the mayor and the Sacramento City Council for not doing more to improve police-community relations and to bring more economic development to poor neighborhoods like Meadowview, where Clark, 22, was killed.

— NBC News, "Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg offers measured response in wake of unrest," 7 Apr. 2018
One of the newest additions to the neighborhood’s trove of international cuisine is Caribbean Cafe, which opened its doors six months ago on West Woodlawn Avenue.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Haitian food at Caribbean Cafe will transport your taste buds to the small island," 4 Apr. 2018
Playground City is in its second year and focuses on providing services to low-income neighborhoods.

— marco santana, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando program aims to expose low-income students to virtual reality," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neighborhood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.