adj ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Closer to the point of attachment or observation.
2. 2
   Facing toward another tooth. The proximal surfaces of a tooth are those that touch or are close to neighboring teeth.
3. 3
   Closer to the speaker.

Adjective

1. 1
   situated nearest to point of attachment or origin wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

approachingapproximatearm in armburningclosehand-in-hand

Antonyms

All antonyms

antonym(s) of “closer to the point of attachmentcloser to the speaker”distal

Etymology

From Latin proximus, superlative form of prope (“near, nigh”).

Related phrases

proximal convoluted tubuleproximal phalangeproximal ulnazone of proximal development

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.