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.
Synonyms
Examples of proximity in a Sentence
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 22 June 2024
The island has previously been caught in the crossfire of regional conflicts, a reminder of its proximity to the volatile Middle East.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 21 June 2024
Forrester, who has lived in Chantilly Highlands since 2002, said she was drawn to the neighborhood in the unincorporated Northern Virginia community of Oak Hill, five miles east of Dulles Airport, because of its proximity to straight-shot thoroughfares to D.C.
—Hope Hodge Seck, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
Despite Savile Row’s proximity, Amel and Granath have established a strong creative clientele in the London, mostly via trunk shows.
—Simon Chilvers, Vogue, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for proximity 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proximity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Proximity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximity. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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