What does "neighbour" mean?
A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or nearby position.
Neighbour
/ˈneɪbə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or nearby position.
- Grammar: neighbour is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bydweller, fellow, fellow human being, fellow man.
- Useful contrasts: foreigner, stranger.
- Usage evidence: I'll leave a key with my next-door neighbour in case you get here before I do.
How to use "neighbour"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "neighbour" 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 "neighbour" 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 "neighbour" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "neighbour" 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 "neighbour" is acting as noun, 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 "bydweller" 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 "neighbour", 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 A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a person situated adjacently or nearby; anything (of the same type of thing as the subject) in an adjacent or nearby position. UK
"My neighbour has two noisy cats."
- 2 a nearby object of the same kind wordnet
- 3 One who is near in sympathy or confidence. UK
"Buckingham / No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel."
- 4 a person who lives (or is located) near another wordnet
- 5 A fellow human being. UK
"1982, Bible (NKJV), Leviticus 19:18, You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Anything located directly adjacent to something else. UK
"The flood fill algorithm fills an area with colour by starting at one pixel and recursively visiting its neighbours."
Verb
- 1 To be adjacent to UK, transitive
"Though France neighbours Germany, its culture is significantly different."
- 2 be located near or adjacent to wordnet
- 3 To be similar to, to be almost the same as. UK, figuratively, intransitive
"That sort of talk is neighbouring on treason."
- 4 live or be located as a neighbor wordnet
- 5 To associate intimately with; to be close to. UK
"[…] the barbarous Scythyan, […] / Shall bee as well neighbour’d, pittyed and relieued / As thou my ſometime daughter."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I'll leave a key with my next-door neighbour in case you get here before I do."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "neighbour"?
Common synonyms include: bydweller, fellow, fellow human being, fellow man, neighbor, neighbor.
How do you use "neighbour" in a sentence?
I'll leave a key with my next-door neighbour in case you get here before I do.
How do you pronounce "neighbour"?
Pronounced /ˈneɪbə/.
Etymology
From Middle English neyghebour, neighebor, neighbour, neihebur, from Old English nēahġebūr (“neighbour”), from Proto-West Germanic *nāhwagabūrō, from Proto-Germanic *nēhwagabūrô (“neighbour”, literally “near-dweller”), equivalent to nigh (“near”) + bower (“farmer”). Cognate with Scots nichbour (“neighbour”), Saterland Frisian Noaber (“neighbour”), Dutch nabuur (“neighbour”), German Low German Naber (“neighbour”), German Nachbar (“neighbour”), Danish nabo (“neighbour”), Norwegian nabo (“neighbour”), Icelandic nábúi (“neighbour”), Finnish naapuri (“neighbour”), Estonian naaber (“neighbour”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English prome (“neighbour”), borrowed from Old French proeme, proime, proisme (“neighbour”) (<< Latin proximus (“nearest, next”).