neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

1

: neighborly relationship

… a closer feeling of brotherhood, a more efficient sense of neighborhood …

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

2

: the quality or state of being neighbors : proximity

… refugees from the country, driven by fear or the neighborhood of armies.

—F. L. Paxson

3

a

: a place or region near : vicinity

traveled to a place somewhere in the neighborhood of that city

b

: an approximate amount, extent, or degree

cost in the neighborhood of $100

4

a

: the people living near one another

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

b

: a section lived in by neighbors and usually having distinguishing characteristics

lived in a quiet neighborhood

5

: the set (see set entry 2 sense 21) of all points belonging to a given set whose distances from a given point are less than a given positive (see positive entry 1 sense 4e) number

broadly : a set that contains a neighborhood

Synonyms

• matter
• tune
• vicinity

Examples of neighborhood in a Sentence

They bought a house in a beautiful neighborhood.

The whole neighborhood heard about it.

Recent Examples on the Web

The neighborhood, which stretches from 59th to 96th Streets, has long been a pillar of fine dining in New York City, known for its white tablecloth restaurants that have served patrons for decades—and in some cases, for well over half a century. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025

Before his arrest, Abrego Garcia lived in a quiet neighborhood of single-family homes with large back and front yards, with trees blossoming in spring. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

In a neighborhood with few children, regularly interacting with neighbors may be the start of building a sense of community. —Emily Edlynn, Parents, 4 Apr. 2025

On March 18 at around 6 p.m., Central District officers responded to the 700 block of East Preston Street in the Johnston Square neighborhood for reports of a shooting and found Turner suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. —Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing neighborhood

• in the neighborhood
• in the neighborhood of
• neighborhood watch

Rhymes for neighborhood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood

Kids Definition

neighborhood

noun

neigh·​bor·​hood ˈnā-bər-ˌhu̇d 

1

: the quality or state of being neighbors

2

a

: a place or region near : vicinity

b

: a number or amount near

cost in the neighborhood of $10

3

a

: the people living near one another

b

: a section lived in by people who consider themselves neighbors