proximity
noun
Did you know?
You're So Close to Learning More About Proximity
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
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 June 2025
That’s life, and that something that also drove our artistic choices to a heartwarming visual style, retaining proximity with our main character throughout her ups and downs that also manifest in the film’s palette.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 8 June 2025
The Miami Herald reported in January that FAU in Palm Beach County was considered the Trump favorite, with FIU hoping to convince the president’s camp that Miami-Dade County’s global appeal, proximity to the Trump Doral resort and newly red politics made FIU the better pick.
—Douglas Hanks, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Each year, June's full moon treads a predictably low path across the spring sky due to its close proximity to the summer solstice — the time of the year when the sun is at its highest.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for proximity
Cite this Entry
“Proximity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximity. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proximity
noun
Legal Definition
proximity
noun
Share