vicinity
noun
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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
Heather Chen, CNN, 11 July 2024
Broccoli is one of several produce items that are sensitive to ethylene gas, which is naturally emitted by some fruits and vegetables (including apples, avocados, pears, and peppers), and speeds up the ripening process of any sensitive produce picks in their vicinity.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 July 2024
There were horses in the vicinity at the time of the incident and her medical team said the head injuries were consistent with impact from a horse’s head or legs.
—Reuters, NBC News, 28 June 2024
In the immediate vicinity of the building, only a few canopies covered those present from the heat, while others covered themselves with their own umbrellas.
—Silvia Solis, The Arizona Republic, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for vicinity 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vicinity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vicinity
Cite this Entry
“Vicinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicinity. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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vicinity
noun
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