vicinity

noun

vi·​cin·​i·​ty və-ˈsi-nə-tē How to pronounce vicinity (audio)
plural vicinities
1
: a surrounding area or district : neighborhood
2
3
: the quality or state of being near : proximity

Did you know?

Howdy, neighbor! Today we cozy up to vicinity, a word with neighborly origins that was welcomed into English as a French import in the 16th century from Middle French vicinité. It comes ultimately from Latin vicus, meaning "row of houses" or "village," by way of Latin vicinus, meaning "neighboring." Other descendants of vicinus in English include vicinal (a synonym of local) and vicinage, a synonym of vicinity in the sense of "a neighboring or surrounding district." Both of these are formal and rare, but vicinage is notable for giving title to the Vicinage Clause, a segment of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution that entitles an accused person to "an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law."

Examples of vicinity in a Sentence

there are no hotels in the vicinity of the hospital the vicinity of the town's only elementary school was one reason why the young couple bought the house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Residents are not currently in the line of fire, but officials warned that people in the vicinity should be prepared in case evacuations become necessary. Landon Mion, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025 All buildings in the vicinity with windows facing towards the bomb were also evacuated. Joseph Ataman, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025 Such earthquakes are often felt by people in the vicinity but typically cause minimal to no structural damage. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025 Four minutes after their arrival on scene, however, the garbage truck exploded in rather spectacular fashion, injuring several firefighters and police officers, damaging several homes in the vicinity, and scattering debris through the neighborhood. Ars Technica, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vicinity

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vicinité, from Latin vicinitat-, vicinitas, from vicinus neighboring, from vicus row of houses, village; akin to Goth weihs village, Old Church Slavic vĭsĭ, Greek oikos, oikia house

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of vicinity was in 1560

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Cite this Entry

“Vicinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicinity. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

vicinity

noun
vi·​cin·​i·​ty və-ˈsin-ət-ē How to pronounce vicinity (audio)
plural vicinities
1
: a surrounding area or district
in the vicinity of her home
2
: an approximate amount, extent, or degree : neighborhood
walks in the vicinity of 20 miles a week

More from Merriam-Webster on vicinity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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