neighborhood

neighborhood — noun

1. the streets, houses, and other buildings that form a residential part of a town,

1.nounA2
Definition

the streets, houses, and other buildings that form a residential part of a town, and the people who reside in them

Example

The old fire station in our neighborhood was turned into a community library.

collocation: in our neighborhood

Mira's family moved to a quiet neighborhood near the park last summer.

collocation: quiet neighborhood

Common collocations
  • quiet neighborhood
  • safe neighborhood
  • residential neighborhood
  • neighborhood park
  • neighborhood school
  • in the neighborhood
  • around the neighborhood
Synonyms
  • community

    focuses more on the people and their shared bonds than on the physical area

  • area

    more general and does not imply residential character

  • district

    often an officially defined zone, not necessarily residential

Usage Note

In US English, the spelling is 'neighborhood'; in British English the same word is spelled 'neighbourhood'. This sense can refer either to the physical area of streets and buildings or to the group of people living there.

Common Mistakes

I live in a neighbor.
I live in a neighborhood.
'Neighbor' is a person who lives near you; 'neighborhood' is the area.

2. the area close to or surrounding a particular place, without specifying exact bo

2.nounB1
Definition

the area close to or surrounding a particular place, without specifying exact boundaries

Example

There are no hospitals in the neighborhood of the mountain village.

in the neighborhood of — nearby area

Imani found a lovely café in the neighborhood of the train station.

Common collocations
  • in the neighborhood of
  • in the general neighborhood of
Synonyms
  • vicinity

    more formal, interchangeable

  • surroundings

    emphasizes the landscape or setting around a place

  • area

    less specific, can refer to a larger region

Usage Note

This sense uses the fixed pattern 'in the neighborhood of [place]'. It is more formal than 'near' or 'around' and is common in written descriptions of location.

Common Mistakes

A café in neighborhood of the station.
A café in the neighborhood of the station.
The definite article 'the' is required in this pattern.

3. used before a number or amount to show that the actual figure is close to but no

3.nounB2
Definition

used before a number or amount to show that the actual figure is close to but not exactly that number — for example, saying a price was in the neighborhood of two hundred dollars

Example

The wedding reception cost in the neighborhood of fifteen thousand dollars.

Hao thought around two hundred guests attended the ceremony, or somewhere in that neighborhood.

in the neighborhood of — approximate number

Common collocations
  • in the neighborhood of
  • somewhere in that neighborhood
Synonyms
  • approximately

    adverb; more common in everyday speech

  • roughly

    adverb; slightly more informal

  • around

    preposition; common in spoken English

Grammar Patterns

in the neighborhood of + [number/amount]

Usage Note

Only used in the fixed phrase 'in the neighborhood of' before a number or amount. Does NOT describe a physical location — unlike sense 1 and sense 2. Common in financial and statistical contexts.

Common Mistakes

The price was neighborhood of $300.
The price was in the neighborhood of $300.
The preposition 'in' and article 'the' are always required.

Word family

  • neighbor
    nounA1
  • neighbor
    verbC1
  • neighboring
    adjectiveB1
  • neighborly
    adjectiveB2
  • neighborliness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Neighborhood, community, district, and area all refer to parts of a town or city, but they highlight different aspects. Neighborhood puts the focus on a residential zone where people live near one another and often interact — it implies houses, streets, local shops, and a sense of familiarity among residents. Community emphasizes the people themselves and their shared identity or interests, not the physical boundaries. A single neighborhood can contain several smaller communities, or a community can stretch across multiple neighborhoods. District is an official or administrative division, frequently drawn by a city government for services, voting, or business purposes. Area is the most general term — it can mean any part of a town, region, or surface without specifying that people live there. For example: 'We found a house in a friendly neighborhood with tree-lined streets.' vs. 'The warehouse district is full of art galleries.' vs. 'This area of the park is reserved for picnics.'

neighborhood ↗community ↗district ↗area ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in the neighborhood
  • around the neighborhood
  • throughout the neighborhood
  • neighborhood watch program
  • neighborhood association

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word comes from 'neighbor' (from Old English 'nēah' meaning 'near' plus 'gebūr' meaning 'dweller' or 'farmer') combined with the suffix '-hood' (from Old English '-hād', meaning 'state', 'condition', or 'quality'). Originally the word described the relationship between people living close to each other, and over time it expanded to mean the area where those people live.