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The fact that the star closest in proximity to our sun (approximately 4.2 light-years distant) is named Proxima Centauri is no coincidence. The history of proximity hinges on the idea of closeness, both physical and metaphorical. English speakers borrowed the word from Middle French, which in turn acquired it from forms of the Latin adjective proximus, meaning "nearest" or "next." Close relatives of proximity in English include proximal, proximate, and the somewhat more rare approximal (meaning "contiguous"). A number of other languages, including Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian, have similar words that come from the Latin proximus.
Examples of proximity in a Sentence
Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
While parking spaces are limited, developers and city officials emphasize the high-rise’s proximity to public transit, located near VTA bus lines and downtown light rail stations.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
The Sun Belt state’s population has boomed in recent decades, which economists link partly to its proximity to California.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for proximity
Cite this Entry
“Proximity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximity. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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proximity
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proximity
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