neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

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

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

a quiet neighborhood

5

: the set (see set entry 2 sense 21) of all points belonging to a given set whose distances from a given point are less than a given positive (see positive entry 1 sense 4e) number

broadly : a set that contains a neighborhood

Synonyms of neighborhood

• vicinity
• tune

Examples of neighborhood in a Sentence

They bought a house in a beautiful neighborhood.

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Visitors can step inside Notre-Dame Basilica, browse the Jean-Talon Market, or wander the independent shops and murals that make up the arty Plateau neighborhood. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026

From the 1950s, when Interstate 75 cut through the neighborhood prompting massive demolition, to 2022 when the community lost Sands Montessori school to Mount Washington. —Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2026

Annapolis residents deserve safe neighborhoods and accountability when violence occurs. —Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

Inside a back room at an Apple Store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, Matthew Savage can hardly contain his excitement for the coming Formula 1 season, particularly the racing series’ new partnership with the global tech giant. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing neighborhood

• in the neighborhood
• in the neighborhood of
• neighborhood watch

Rhymes for neighborhood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood

Kids Definition

neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

1

: the quality or state of being neighbors

2

a

: a place or region near : vicinity

b

: a number or amount near

cost in the neighborhood of $10

3

a

: the people living near one another

b

: a section lived in by people who consider themselves neighbors