What does neighborhood mean?
A neighborhood is a recognizable part of a town or city, often treated as a residential community with its own streets, businesses, schools, traditions, or social character. The word can refer either to the geographical area or, collectively, to the people who live there. For example, saying that a neighborhood is friendly means that the people who live there are generally friendly or that it has a welcoming community atmosphere. By extension, “in the neighborhood” can mean in the surrounding area or nearby. The word is especially common in American English, while British English traditionally favors the spelling “neighbourhood,” although “neighborhood” is also accepted. Beyond its literal geographical meaning, neighborhood often suggests local identity, belonging, and the social relationships associated with a shared place.
nounA neighborhood is a district of a town or city, especially one regarded as a distinct residential community or characterized by a particular social, cultural, or economic character. By extension, it can mean a person's immediate locality or surroundings.
- A district of a town or city, especially a residential area.
- The people living in such a district, regarded as a community.
- A person's immediate locality or surroundings.
"The whole neighborhood gathered at the community hall for the annual street party."
"They moved to a quiet neighborhood on the edge of the city."
"There was a motorcycle parked somewhere in the neighborhood."
"The whole neighborhood was proud of the library's new children's program."
The regular plural is used for individual districts or communities.
"Several neighborhoods lie within easy reach of the new railway station."
From the words for “near” and “dwelling,” neighborhood literally refers to the homes and people close by.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neighborhood come from?
The word developed through Middle English forms based on Old English nēahbūr, meaning a nearby inhabitant or neighbor. Its elements were neah, meaning “near,” and būr, meaning “dwelling,” so the underlying idea was that of people living near one another. The later addition of the suffix -hood transformed the sense into that of an inhabited district or local community. The modern spelling reflects the influence of neighbor and the established English pattern of adding -hood to create a noun denoting a state, group, or place.
How neighborhood is actually used
The term is common in everyday speech in both British and American English. It often carries a sense of community or shared local identity, especially when referring collectively to the people who live in an area.
Easily confused with neighborhood
A neighbor is a person who lives near another person, whereas a neighborhood is the broader area or community in which people live.
Neighbourhood is the standard British spelling of the same word, while neighborhood is the standard spelling in American English and is also accepted in British usage.