adjoin
Americanverb (used with object)
-
adjoins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adjoined,
past participle, past
-
adjoining
present participle
-
to be close to or in contact with; abut on.
His property adjoins the lake.
-
to attach or append; affix.
verb (used without object)
-
adjoins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adjoined,
past participle, past
-
adjoining
present participle
verb
-
to be next to (an area of land, etc)
-
to join; affix or attach
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
adjoinsimple
-
adjoinssimple
-
have adjoinedperfect
-
has adjoinedperfect
-
am adjoiningprogressive
-
are adjoiningprogressive
-
is adjoiningprogressive
-
have been adjoiningperfect progressive
-
has been adjoiningperfect progressive
Past
-
adjoinedsimple
-
had adjoinedperfect
-
was adjoiningprogressive
-
were adjoiningprogressive
-
had been adjoiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adjoin
1275–1325; Middle English a ( d ) joinen < Middle French ajoindre. See ad-, join
Explanation
Things that adjoin are next to each other or share a boundary. Two adjoining states are neighbors. The United States adjoins Canada. Just as the word join suggests togetherness, things that adjoin are together in a specific way. They're adjacent, which means they're butting right up against one other. Two adjoining buildings are connected or next-door neighbors. Two adjoining states share a border. If two rooms adjoin, they are connected by a door or they share a wall. When things adjoin, they have a physical connection.
Vocabulary lists containing adjoin
Close Encounters: Synonyms for "Near"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Dawes Act
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Marrow Thieves
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The witness was also asked by the lawyer about safety issues that could have arisen for local families whose back gardens adjoin the waste ground where the culvert is located.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Both major projects will adjoin the new transport infrastructure.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2023
Land buyers will pay premium prices, depending upon a variety of circumstances, such as special financing, tax advantages, or a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to purchase parcels that adjoin their farms or ranches.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 12, 2016
Communities that adjoin the park are not endangered, and no evacuations have been ordered.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2016
This 'dining hall' where I now sit, however, is a modem annexe built to adjoin the main building - a long, flat room characterized by rows of large windows on either side.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
![]()
Kei Nakai says he’ll miss the most his parents’ home — a skinny, green two-story building that adjoins the nursery on Grevillea Avenue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2025
The Barents Sea, which adjoins the Arctic Ocean, is one of the most productive oceanic areas in the world and home to an enormous diversity of organisms.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2023
“We feel that enough’s enough,” said Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, one of the most vulnerable first-term Republicans, who represents a New York district that adjoins Santos’.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
Subject to a ruling to the contrary from next month's tribunal panel, Reuben will attend a mainstream primary that adjoins the special school.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2023
Since the living room adjoins his—Joseph and David’s—room, I opened the door so the fire would warm it, too.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
![]()
If data centers occupy the caverns, any improper water management or heat discharge could quickly become an immediate risk to adjoined residential neighborhoods.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2023
Staff members earlier took her belongings from her previous desk, which had adjoined those of other veteran House Democratics.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2023
That structure consists of adjoined cubes that rest on unarticulated columns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2022
So I went to my room, that adjoined Father’s, and wasted time on my phone screen, and thought how I could be doing this at home, and fell asleep.
From Slate ● Dec. 29, 2020
We walk into the adjoined bathroom, and I sit on the edge of the tub.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
![]()
She bought the apartment anyway, and knocked down the kitchen’s walls, opening it up to an adjoining dining area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Noth’s bedroom offers a more pared-back aesthetic, with enough space to accommodate a king-sized bed, while the adjoining full bathroom features marble finishes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
On the adjoining estate, more than a dozen homes have boarded-up windows.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the adjoining Avila region a little further west, another inferno raging since last week has become the biggest since Spain's records began in 1961, burning 50,000 hectares.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
But instead the display is homey and cheerful, and, with the pickles and olives across the aisle and the bath and laundry soaps adjoining, the rows upon rows of insecticides are displayed.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.