What does "next" mean?
The one that follows after this one.
Next
/nɛkst/ adj, adv, det, noun, prep
adj, adv, det, noun, prep ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The one that follows after this one.
- Grammar: next is listed as adj, adv, det, noun, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: adjacent, adjacent, adjacent, adjacent item.
- Useful contrasts: previous, previously, current.
- Usage evidence: Next thing you know, you'll be in the papers.
How to use "next"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "next" 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 "next" 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 "next" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "next" 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 "next" is acting as adj, adv, det, noun, prep 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 "adjacent" 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 "next", 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 one that follows after this one. uncountable
"Next, please, don't hold up the queue!"
- 2 Next match uncountable
"gg team, Wanna play next?"
Adjective
- 1 Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining. not-comparable
"The man in the next bunk kept me awake all night with his snoring."
- 2 Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.; Most direct, or shortest or nearest in distance or time. not-comparable, obsolete
"A prophet I, Madam; and I speak the truth the next way: […]"
- 3 Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order. not-comparable
"Please turn to the next page."
- 4 Nearest in relationship. (See also next of kin.) not-comparable
"next friend"
Adjective
- 1 immediately following in time or order wordnet
- 2 (of a day of the week) nearest (or nearest but one) after the present moment wordnet
- 3 nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space wordnet
- 4 (of elected officers) elected but not yet serving wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following. not-comparable
"They live in the next closest house."
- 2 In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following.; So as to follow in time or sequence something previously mentioned. conjunctive, not-comparable
"First we removed all the handles; next, we stripped off the old paint."
- 3 On the first subsequent occasion. not-comparable
"Financial panic, earthquakes, oil spills, riots. What comes next?"
Adverb
- 1 at the time or occasion immediately following wordnet
Determiner
- 1 Denotes the one immediately following the current or most recent one.
"Next week would be a good time to meet."
- 2 Closest in the future, or closest but one if the closest is very soon; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) in the future.
"The party is next Tuesday; that is, not tomorrow, but eight days from now."
Preposition
- 1 On the side of; nearest or adjacent to; next to. obsolete, poetic
"D is so dainty a letter, that she admits no other consonant next her but R:[…]"
Antonyms
Example
"Next thing you know, you'll be in the papers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "next"?
Common synonyms include: adjacent, adjacent, adjacent, adjacent item, adjoining, after.
How do you use "next" in a sentence?
Next thing you know, you'll be in the papers.
How do you pronounce "next"?
Pronounced /nɛkst/.
Etymology
From Middle English nexte, nexste, nixte, from Old English nīehsta, nīehste, etc., inflected forms of nīehst (“nearest, next”), superlative form of nēah (“nigh”) (the comparative would become near), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“nearest, closest”); equivalent to nigh + -est. Cognate with Saterland Frisian naist (“next”), Dutch naast (“next to”), German nächster (“next”), Yiddish נעקסט (nekst, “next”), Danish næste (“next”), Elfdalian nest (“by, near”), Icelandic næst (“next”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk neste (“next”), Swedish näst, nästa (“next”), Persian نزد (nazd, “near, with”). Compare typologically Latin proximus (“nearest, next”).