proximity
noun
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The fact that the star closest in proximity to our sun (approximately 4.2 light-years distant) is named Proxima Centauri is no coincidence. The history of proximity hinges on the idea of closeness, both physical and metaphorical. English speakers borrowed the word from Middle French, which in turn acquired it from forms of the Latin adjective proximus, meaning "nearest" or "next." Close relatives of proximity in English include proximal, proximate, and the somewhat more rare approximal (meaning "contiguous"). A number of other languages, including Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian, have similar words that come from the Latin proximus.
Examples of proximity in a Sentence
David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
At Pacific City, the The Lighthouse, backed by its music-world pedigree, is poised to further position oceanfront retail hub as more than just a mall, buoyed by its proximity to the beach, nearby hotels and growing roster of restaurants.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The pursuit of perfection, in this case, is also tied to proximity to whiteness.
—Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 26 Mar. 2026
Here in Eruemukohwarien, a few individual villagers climb over the perimeter sandbags in order to place their cassava, laid out on bamboo trays, in shocking proximity to the 30-foot fireball.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proximity
Cite this Entry
“Proximity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximity. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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