adjacent
gb/əd͡ʒˈeɪsənt/ us/əd͡ʒˈeɪsənt/
B2
English
~ 6300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
relation
1
next to or very close by
very close to something else; right next to it
Usage pattern:
[something] is adjacent to [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"adjacent with"* or *"adjacent of"*. The correct preposition is *"adjacent to"* (e.g., *"The bank is adjacent to the supermarket"*). Learners may also confuse *"adjacent"* with *"attached"*; *"adjacent"* means very close or next to, but not necessarily physically joined.
Synonyms
next to (More informal two-word phrase; very common in everyday speech.)
|
adjoining (Often implies sharing a wall or boundary, especially with rooms or properties.)
|
neighboring (Suggests being nearby in the same general area, not always directly touching.)
Antonyms
distant (Emphasizes being far away rather than close by.)
|
separate (Stresses that things are not next to each other or directly connected.)
Collocations
adjacent room
|adjacent building
|adjacent property
|adjacent area
|adjacent land
|adjacent houses
Themes
space
|daily life
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our hotel room was adjacent to the elevator, so it was a bit noisy.
- There is a small park adjacent to the school where the children play after class.
- The restaurant is adjacent to a busy road, making parking difficult.
- They bought the adjacent property to expand their garden.
- Please move to the adjacent seat so the couple can sit together.
Learner examples
- My office is adjacent to the main door.
- The bathroom is adjacent to the bedroom.
- A small shop is adjacent to the bus station.
- We sat at adjacent tables in the cafe.
- Our house is adjacent to a large park.
adjective
technical
C1
relation
2
sharing a common side or point
in math, touching another side, angle, or point because they share a line or point
Usage pattern:
[angles/sides/vertices] are adjacent
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "adjacent" with "opposite" in triangle vocabulary (e.g., the adjacent side vs. the opposite side relative to an angle). Emphasize that the adjacent side shares the angle, while the opposite side is across from it.
Synonyms
neighboring (Can be used in some math contexts but is less precise and less standard than "adjacent".)
Antonyms
opposite (In geometry, describes sides, angles, or vertices that face each other rather than share a border.)
Collocations
adjacent angles
|adjacent sides
|adjacent vertices
|adjacent cells
|adjacent edges
Themes
mathematics
|science
|education
Examples
- In this triangle, the two sides adjacent to the right angle are called the legs.
- The sum of two adjacent angles on a straight line is 180 degrees.
- Select the adjacent cells in the spreadsheet before you apply the formula.
- Each vertex in the graph is connected only to its two adjacent vertices.
- Label the edges adjacent to the shaded face of the cube.
Learner examples
- The angle is between two adjacent sides.
- These two angles are adjacent because they share a side.
- Color all the adjacent squares on the grid.
- In a right triangle, the adjacent side touches the right angle.
- The program checks every pair of adjacent cells.
adjective
formal
C1
relation
3
very close in type or order
very close to something in time, level, or type, not just in place
Usage pattern:
[time/field/area] adjacent to [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "adjacent" always refers to physical space. In business or academic writing, it often means close in type or time, as in "adjacent markets" or "adjacent years," not physically next to each other.
Synonyms
closely related (More explicit about the relationship; slightly less formal phrase.)
|
neighboring (Metaphorical use; suggests being near in type or category, not just location.)
Antonyms
unrelated (Stresses that there is no close connection in type or category.)
|
remote (In this context, implies being far apart in type, time, or relevance.)
Collocations
adjacent field
|adjacent market
|adjacent area of research
|adjacent time period
|adjacent domain
Themes
business
|academia
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her work in psychology draws heavily from adjacent fields such as neuroscience and sociology.
- The company is exploring adjacent markets to find new sources of growth.
- These two time periods are adjacent in the timeline but very different culturally.
- The report examines corruption and several adjacent issues, including lobbying and campaign finance.
- He built a career in an adjacent industry where his skills were still useful.
Learner examples
- He moved from banking to an adjacent field in finance.
- We will study this period and the adjacent years.
- The book looks at law and adjacent social problems.
- Our company wants to grow into adjacent markets.
- The course covers history and adjacent topics.
Grammar
Dictionary form
adjacent
IPA
GB/əd͡ʒˈeɪsənt/
US/əd͡ʒˈeɪsənt/
Syllables & stress
ad - ja - cent (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ja)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: adjacent
Word family
Core family
adjacency
noun
Related words
adjoin
verb C1
adjoining
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
nonadjacent
adjective
Expressions
adjacent to
1/əd͡ʒˈeɪsənt tə/
fixed phrase
directly next to something
used to say that one thing is right next to another thing
Examples
- The children’s playground is adjacent to the parking lot.
- Our office is adjacent to the main lobby on the first floor.
- There is a small garden adjacent to the building.