What does neighbor mean?
A neighbor is someone who lives nearby, especially in a house or apartment close to another person's home. The word is also used more broadly to describe people connected to one another through a shared community or social group, and for things that are situated close together. For example, a neighbor might be a friendly person in the next-door house, a fellow resident who shares local concerns, or an adjacent building near a place. In American English, “neighbor” is spelled without the u, while British English generally uses “neighbour.” The word is everyday and often carries a strong sense of proximity and community, although it can also be used in more formal or metaphorical contexts when describing close relationships or adjacency.
nounA person who lives in the vicinity of someone else, especially one living in an adjoining or nearby house. By extension, the word can refer to something adjacent or close in space, or to a fellow member of a community.
- A person who lives near or adjoining another person, especially in a neighboring house.
- A person who is close to someone in a personal, social, or communal sense.
- Something adjacent or close in position, such as a neighboring room, building, or region.
"Our new neighbor brought over a casserole when we moved in."
"We asked our neighbor to keep an eye on the package while we were away."
"The museum is a neighbor of the university, just two blocks away."
The standard plural in American English is neighbors; neighbours is the British spelling.
"The neighbors organized a street cleanup."
The word neighbor comes from an idea of being near: it originally described someone living in the next house or nearby.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neighbor come from?
The word descends from Old English and Middle English forms meaning “near” or “neighboring.” Its development reflects the idea of a person who lives close to another, initially in the sense of someone occupying a nearby or adjoining property. The modern English word also has a parallel form, “neighbour,” preserved in British and other non-American varieties. Its relatives “near,” “nearby,” and “neighbourhood” reflect the same broad etymological idea of closeness or proximity.
Related word forms
How neighbor is actually used
In American English, neighbor is the standard spelling; neighbour is the standard British spelling. The word is used broadly for people living nearby and, figuratively, for people closely connected by community, work, or shared experience. It can also refer to an adjacent object, place, or area.
Easily confused with neighbor
Neighbor is the standard spelling in American English, while neighbour is the standard spelling in British English and other varieties that use British spelling conventions.
Neighbor names a person or thing located nearby, whereas near is primarily an adjective or preposition describing proximity.