Synonyms of contiguous

contiguous

adjective

kən-ˈti-gyə-wəs 

as in adjacent

having a border in common

Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adjacent
• neighboring
• adjoining
• closest
• bordering
• abutting
• conterminous
• united
• joining
• flanking
• juxtaposed
• attached
• touching
• close
• nearest
• fringing
• connected
• linked
• nearby
• flush
• connecting
• surrounding
• near
• verging
• skirting
• approximate
• next-door
• communicating
• joined
• encircling
• peripheral
• immediate
• marginal
• fencing
• bounding
• enclosing
• nigh
• embracing
• tangential
• interconnecting
• encompassing
• circumjacent
• ambient
• tangent
• rimming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noncontiguous
• discrete
• separate
• single
• nonadjacent
• apart
• isolated
• unconnected
• detached
• distant
• free-standing
• unattached
• isolate
• unlinked
• disconnected
• removed
• farthest
• remote
• far
• discontinuous
• away
• divided
• noncontinuous
• resolved
• split
• severed
• far-off
• broken up
• dissociated
• faraway
• divorced
• disunited
• parted
• uncoupled
• ramified
• disjoined
• sundered
• dissevered
• unyoked

Synonym Chooser

How is the word contiguous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of contiguous are adjacent, adjoining, and juxtaposed. While all these words mean "being in close proximity," contiguous implies having contact on all or most of one side.

offices in all 48 contiguous states

When might adjacent be a better fit than contiguous?

While in some cases nearly identical to contiguous, adjacent may or may not imply contact but always implies absence of anything of the same kind in between.

a house with an adjacent garage

When can adjoining be used instead of contiguous?

While the synonyms adjoining and contiguous are close in meaning, adjoining definitely implies meeting and touching at some point or line.

had adjoining rooms at the hotel

When would juxtaposed be a good substitute for contiguous?

The words juxtaposed and contiguous can be used in similar contexts, but juxtaposed means placed side by side especially so as to permit comparison and contrast.

a skyscraper juxtaposed to a church

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contiguous

Delivery is available throughout the contiguous United States. — New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026

Across the contiguous United States, September 2026 ranks as the warmest September on record, dating back to at least 1895, according to data from the PRISM Group at Oregon State University. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, the public-land survey that began in Ohio had extended to the Pacific, covering two-thirds of the contiguous United States. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Great Mountain Forest encompasses more than 6,000 acres of contiguous forestland in the towns of Norfolk and Canaan. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026

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