Meaning of “near” in the English Dictionary

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"near" in English

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nearadverb, preposition

uk ​ /nɪər/ us ​ /nɪr/

A1 not far away in distance:

Is there a restaurant near here?
I'd like to sit near a window, please.
Don't come too near me - you might catch my cold.
The hotel is near the airport.
Which bus stop is nearest (to) your house?
I was standing just near enough to hear what they were saying.

B2 not far away in time:

As the date of his operation drew near, he became more and more anxious.
UK We can decide which route to take nearer the time.

C2 almost in a particular state, or condition:

The runners looked near exhaustion.
UK I was near (to) tears (= almost cried) at one point during the film.
nowhere near

C1 not close in distance, time, amount, or quality:

The house was nowhere near the beach.
It's nowhere near time for us to leave yet.
I'm nowhere near finishing the book - I'm only half-way through it.
He's nowhere near as tall as his sister.
near enough mainly UK informal

› almost:

They're the same age or near enough.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Grammar

Near and near toNear and near to are prepositions. Near is also an adjective. …
Near and nearto as prepositionsThe preposition near (to) means ‘not far away in distance’. Near and near to mean the same, but near is more common: …
Near as an adjectiveIn formal contexts, we can use near as an adjective to refer to time with the phrase in the near future meaning ‘soon’. It is usually in end position: …

Idiom(s)

near at hand

nearadjective [ before noun ]

uk ​ /nɪər/ us ​ /nɪr/

B1 not far away in distance, time, characteristics, or quality:

Where's the nearest post office?
My pocket knife is the nearest thing (= the most similar thing) to a weapon that I have.
I couldn't get any cream cheese so I bought the nearest equivalent (= the most similar thing) that I could find.

› UK Your near relatives are people who are closely related to you, such as your parents, brothers, or sisters.

in the near future

B2 at a time that is not far away:

All our computer equipment will be replaced in the near future.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

nearness
noun [ U ] uk ​ /ˈnɪə.nəs/ us ​ /ˈnɪr.nəs/

›

I bought my house because of its nearness to the place I work.

Grammar

Near and near toNear and near to are prepositions. Near is also an adjective. …
Near and nearto as prepositionsThe preposition near (to) means ‘not far away in distance’. Near and near to mean the same, but near is more common: …
Near as an adjectiveIn formal contexts, we can use near as an adjective to refer to time with the phrase in the near future meaning ‘soon’. It is usually in end position: …
Nearest or next?Nearest is the superlative form of near. It means ‘the closest in distance or time’: …

Idiom(s)

your nearest and dearest

nearverb [ I or T ]

uk ​ /nɪər/ us ​ /nɪr/

near-prefix

uk ​ /nɪər-/ us ​ /nɪr-/

(Definition of “near” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"near" in American English

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nearpreposition

us ​ /nɪər/ also near to, /ˈnɪər tə, tu/

› close to; not far away from in distance, time, or relationship:

We live near the school.
She asked to sit nearer the front of the classroom.
It will probably be near midnight by the time we get home.
We couldn’t park anywhere near the theater.

nearadjective [ -er/-est only ]

us ​ /nɪər/

› not far away in distance, time, or relationship:

in the near future
The nearest library is in the next town.
nearness
noun [ U ] us ​ /ˈnɪər·nəs/

›

I’m surprised by the nearness of her.

nearadverb [ -er/-est only ]

us ​ /nɪər/

› not far away in distance, time, or relationship:

I wish we lived nearer.
I was standing near enough to hear what they were saying.

nearverb [ I/T ]

us ​ /nɪər/

› to come closer to something, or to approach:

[ I ] As the big day nears, I’m starting to get nervous.
[ T ] The project is nearing completion.

(Definition of “near” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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