next

1 of 4

adjective

ˈnekst 

1

: immediately adjacent (as in place, rank, or time)

2

: any other considered hypothetically

knew it as well as the next man

see also:

next to nothing

next

2 of 4

preposition

: nearest or adjacent to

next

3 of 4

adverb

1

: in the time, place, or order nearest or immediately succeeding

next we drove home

the next closest school

2

: on the first occasion to come

when next we meet

next

4 of 4

noun

: one that is next

from one day to the next

Synonyms of next

Adjective

• following
• ensuing
• second
• coming

Examples of next in a Sentence

Adjective

I'll see you next Monday.

Next year's party will be even better.

the very next thing that happened

Can I help the next person in line? Who's next?

We could hear people talking in the next room.

At the next set of lights, turn left.

I need the next size up.

The next time we will see each other will be on our wedding day.

Next time, please remember to bring your books to class.

She knew the answer as well as the next person.

Adverb

Next, I need to ask you a few questions about your family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Senate on its 10th try also approved a war powers resolution to end the conflict, but GOP senators quickly reversed course the next day after Trump berated them during a closed-door lunch. — Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

His point is that although LLMs, no less than chess engines and other specialist systems, are trained on a specific task—namely, predicting the next word in a text passage—that task is special. — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

Preposition

What’s overlooked is that the Heat will have three of its next four first-round draft picks and preserved the ability to use its full $16 million midlevel exception next summer. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

With one of the regional sites next April moving from Bridgeport to PeoplesBank Arena, and another regional scheduled for Springfield, UConn has a chance to really extend the madness past March around here. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Adverb

Drip coffee came next, followed by pour-over, espresso, and French press. — Merve Ceylan, HEALTH, 17 Sep. 2026

This season is all about love, reinvention, and what comes next. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Noun

When so many pieces of New York have been relentlessly framed as an out-of-towner’s idea of themselves, Murray Hill just keeps being its everyday nail-salon-next-to-a-weed-shop self. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026

In the next, Frank posed for a photo in front of Frozen animation drawings of Anna and Idina Menzel’s Elsa. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English nīehst, superlative of nēah nigh — more at nigh

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Preposition

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing next

• better luck next time
• cleanliness is next to godliness
• from one day to the next
• from one minute to the next
• from one moment to the next
• girl next door
• in the next life
• next best
• next-door
• next-door neighbor
• next door to
• next friend
• next-gen
• next-generation
• next-level
• next of kin
• next to
• next to last
• next to nothing
• the boy/girl next door
• the next best thing
• the next big thing
• the next couple of
• the next life
• the next man/person
• the next thing I knew
• week after next

Rhymes for next

• flexed
• sexed
• text
• vexed
• ciphertext
• hypertext
• multiplexed
• teletext
• complexed
• deflexed
• perplexed
• plaintext

Kids Definition

next

1 of 3 adjective

ˈnekst 

: coming immediately before or following

the next page

the house next to ours

next

2 of 3 preposition

(ˈ)nekst

: next to entry 1

next

3 of 3 adverb

ˈnekst

1

: in the nearest time, place, or order following

open this package next

2

: at the first time to come after this

when next we meet