English · Word Candidate

neighbour

/ˈneɪbə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: neighbours · neighbouring · neighboured

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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.

NounRegister: UK

Examples

My neighbour has two noisy cats.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

One who is near in sympathy or confidence.

NounRegister: UK

Examples

Buckingham / No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To be adjacent to

VerbRegister: UK

Examples

Though France neighbours Germany, its culture is significantly different.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To be similar to, to be almost the same as.

VerbRegister: UK

Examples

That sort of talk is neighbouring on treason.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

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.

Is “neighbour” formal or informal?

neighbour is generally UK.