adjacent

[ uh-jey-suhnt ]

adjective

1. lying near, close, or contiguous; adjoining; neighboring:

   a motel adjacent to the highway.

   Synonyms: touching

   Antonyms: distant

2. just before, after, or facing:

   a map on an adjacent page.

3. (used in combination)
   1. related or very close to a specified topic, activity, etc.:

      While the comment was not outright racist, it was racist-adjacent.

   2. supporting or being an ally of a group or subculture without being a part of it:

      She describes herself as queer-adjacent.

   3. having the traits or interests of a group or subculture without being a part of it:

      Are they full-on geeks or just nerd-adjacent?

adjacent

/ əˈdʒeɪsənt /

adjective

1. being near or close, esp having a common boundary; adjoining; contiguous
2. maths
   1. (of a pair of vertices in a graph) joined by a common edge
   2. (of a pair of edges in a graph) meeting at a common vertex

noun

1. geometry the side lying between a specified angle and a right angle in a right-angled triangle

Derived Forms

• adˈjacently, adverb
• adˈjacency, noun

Other Words From

• ad·jacent·ly adverb
• nonad·jacent adjective
• nonad·jacent·ly adverb
• subad·jacent adjective
• subad·jacent·ly adverb
• super·ad·jacent adjective
• super·ad·jacent·ly adverb
• unad·jacent adjective
• unad·jacent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjacent¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin adjacent- (stem of adjacēns, present participle of adjacēre “to adjoin”), equivalent to ad- “toward” ( ad- ) + jac- “lie” + -ent- adjective suffix ( -ent )

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjacent¹

C15: from Latin adjacēre to lie next to, from ad- near + jacēre to lie

Synonym Study

See adjoining.

Example Sentences

Instead, he cited residents’ concerns that the Libre Commons project would bring congestion on roads adjacent to the project.

From Los Angeles Times

Laughter is a sudden, spasmodic expulsion air, but, at the same time, it is adjacent to other, more concerning practices of expulsion and denigration.

From Salon

A massive fire ripped through an auto parts store off a major Hollywood thoroughfare Saturday afternoon, destroying the business and damaging two adjacent restaurants.

From Los Angeles Times

Whereas Black people have to work twice as hard, white people and persons white adjacent only have to be half as good.

From Salon

“We went beyond sort of the core Fox News fan, and went to people who were adjacent.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adjoining
• bordering
• contiguous
• neighboring