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Synonyms

vicinity

American  
[vi-sin-i-tee] / vɪˈsɪn ɪ ti /

noun

plural

vicinities

  1. the area or region near or about a place; surrounding district; neighborhood.

    There are no stores in the vicinity of our house.

  2. state or fact of being near; proximity; propinquity.

    He was troubled by the vicinity of the nuclear testing area.
vicinity British  
/ vɪˈsɪnɪtɪ /

noun

  1. a surrounding, adjacent, or nearby area; neighbourhood

  2. the fact or condition of being close in space or relationship

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of vicinity

1550–60; < Latin vīcīnitās, equivalent to vīcīn ( us ) near ( vīc ( us ) wick 3, neighborhood + -īnus -ine 1 ) + -itās -ity

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.

How anyone else in their vicinity is affected by their actions is an afterthought.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Minimizing risks and preventing disaster will involve the crew performing a series of checks and maneuvers while still in Earth's vicinity.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The IDF said it wasn’t aware of any airstrikes in the vicinity of prisons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Rafael Grossi, the IAEA's director general, said "maximum military restraint should be observed, in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities".

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Every warrior in the vicinity straightened, their faces growing stony as Shomari’s words sunk in.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions 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.