What does "near" mean?
The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
Near
/nɪə(ɹ)/ adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb
adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
- Grammar: near is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: approximate, close, about, about.
- Useful contrasts: distant, off, aftermost.
- Usage evidence: Is there a youth hostel near here?
How to use "near"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "near" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "near" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "near" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "near" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "near" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "approximate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "near", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
- 2 Kidney. Derbyshire, dialectal, rare
Verb
- 1 To come closer to; to approach. ambitransitive
"The ship nears the land."
- 2 move towards wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Physically close.
"I can't see near objects very clearly without my glasses."
- 2 Close in time.
"The end is near."
- 3 Closely connected or related.
"The deceased man had no near relatives."
- 4 Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
"A matter of near consequence to me."
- 5 Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
"a version near to the original"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
"a near escape"
- 7 Approximate, almost.
"The two words are near synonyms."
- 8 On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left). British
"The near front wheel came loose."
- 9 Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team. dated
"the near ox; the near leg"
- 10 Immediate; direct; close; short. obsolete
"Toward ſolid good what leads the neareſt way;"
- 11 Stingy; parsimonious. archaic
"Don't be near with your pocketbook."
- 12 Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture. not-comparable
"a near pointer"
Adjective
- 1 not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances wordnet
- 2 very close in resemblance wordnet
- 3 with or in a close or intimate relationship wordnet
- 4 giving or spending with reluctance wordnet
- 5 closely resembling the genuine article wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 being on the left side wordnet
Adverb
- 1 At or towards a position close in space or time.
- 2 Nearly; almost.
"He was near unconscious when I found him."
Adverb
- 1 (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but wordnet
- 2 near in time or place or relationship wordnet
Preposition
- 1 Physically close to, in close proximity to.
"There are habitable planets orbiting many of the stars near our Sun."
- 2 Close to in time.
"The voyage was near completion."
- 3 Close to in nature or degree.
"His opinions are near the limit of what is acceptable."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Is there a youth hostel near here?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "near"?
Common synonyms include: approximate, close, about, about, about, about plants.
How do you use "near" in a sentence?
Is there a youth hostel near here?
How do you pronounce "near"?
Pronounced /nɪə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”), from the adjective *nēhwaz, ultimately from Pre-Proto-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos, a lengthened-grade adjective derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian nai, noi, näi (“close, near”), Saterland Frisian nai (“close, near”), Dutch na (“close”), naar (“to, towards”), Dutch Low Saxon nao (“after”), German nach (“after”), nahe (“near”), näher (“nearer”), German Low German nao, nå (“towards”), Luxembourgish no (“after”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk nær (“close, near”), Swedish när, nära (“close, near”), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “close, near”). See also nigh. Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective. Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw (“near, close”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English nēre, neere (“kidney, abdomen; (pl.) seat of emotions”), probably from unattested Old English *nēora, *nīora, from Proto-West Germanic *neurō, from Proto-Germanic *neurô; but alternatively borrowed from Middle Low German nêre. Cognate with Scots nere, neir, German Niere, Dutch nier, Norwegian nyre, Icelandic nýra, and more distantly Latin nefronēs pl (Praeneste dialect), Ancient Greek νεφρός (nephrós), all meaning both “kidney” and “testicle”. In most English dialects, this word survived only as a fossil in the second syllable of kidney (earlier kide-nēre), wherein the original r was apparently replaced with y.
Etymology 3
Scottish surname, probably shortened/altered from McNair.