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

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum asked bankers on Tuesday to ready financing for a slate of energy and infrastructure projects the government will unveil next week. —Michael O'Boyle, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026

In Maye's case, getting there in just his second season, the notion of going from 4-13 to Super Bowl participant reminds us that the door is open next year, even for clubs with losing records in 2025. —Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026

Preposition

His organization hopes to roll out the technology in some of its San Francisco homeless shelters next month. —Cal Matters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026

Two-time Oscar-winning director Ang Lee is set to receive the American Cinema Editors‘ 2026 Filmmaker of the Year honor next month. —Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026

Adverb

Snow timeline in Massachusetts Up next, the snow. —Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026

In this interview with Interesting Engineering (IE), Natarajan reflects on his career and what comes next as the industry confronts limits that are no longer theoretical. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026

Noun

Everyone is making money from the next The Walking Dead! —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

With a shift in economic activity from one generation to the next also comes with new flows of wealth, and this is something governments around the world will be looking to leverage, according to experts. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025

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