near

1 of 4

adverb

1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
sunset was drawing near
2
: almost, nearly
was near dead
3
: in a close or intimate manner : closely
near related
4
archaic : in a frugal manner

near

2 of 4

preposition

: close to
beaches near the city
seemed to be near death

near

3 of 4

adjective

1
a
: not far distant in time, place, or degree
in the near future
b
: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided
a near win in the primary
a near midair collision
c
: nearly not happening
a near escape
2
: closely related or intimately associated
her nearest and dearest friend
3
a
: being the closer of two
the near side
b
: being the left-hand one of a pair
the near wheel of a cart
4
: direct, short
the nearest road
5
6
a
: closely resembling the standard or typical
a near desert
b
: approximating the genuine
near silk
nearness noun

near

4 of 4

verb

neared; nearing; nears

Examples of near in a Sentence

Adverb The plant was near dead when I got it. as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire Preposition I left the box near the door. The cat won't go near fire. There are several beaches near here. She came home near midnight. We feared he was near death. Adjective The nearest grocery store is three blocks away. The near side headlight is out. Verb As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious. He always cheers up when baseball season nears. The airplane began to descend as it neared the island. He must be nearing 80 years of age. The negotiators were nearing a decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
While planning for annual events such as Trooping is Colour continues at the palace, decisions about the King's involvement will likely be made nearer the time. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Nearer and nearer draws the time, The time that will surely be: When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God As the waters cover the sea. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 There’s reasons for that, but Hunter hasn’t been a guy that has played near as close to the basket in many opportunities because there’s been bodies, strong bodies, that he’s got to get through to get close to the basket. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024 The Parker Solar Probe draws so near to the star that researchers have occasionally worried about the spacecraft's health—but so far the probe has weathered whatever the sun has thrown its way. Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 Passengers’ willingness to pay for extra comfort, like premium seating nearer the front of the plane, or economy plus seating with more legroom, has lingered post-pandemic. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 That last toggle supports near, far, or full-range autofocus, with 10 meters as the cutoff point. PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024 Temperatures average near to above average through Thursday but may end the week on the cold side of average. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024 Our adventurous readers have journeyed near and far over the last year, from the streets of Dubrovnik to Antarctica’s icy terrain. Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024
Preposition
Certain destinations near or in the heart of Norwood may be more difficult to reach because of the closure. The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Areas being considered for the housing are near the fire station just off Jimmy Durante Boulevard, between an exhibition hall and the fairgrounds’ main parking lot. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 Ninety percent of a trout’s feeding takes place on or near the bottom of a stream. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 The hypothetical site of the landfill would be near the high-end Creekmoor golf course community, bordering 147th Street to the north, Horridge Road to the east, 155th Street to the south and Peterson Road to the west. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 This continent was near the equator and had a dry and warm climate. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 About 15 neighbors whose homes are near the pond named the swans and fed them corn, lettuce and carrots. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 And babies' and newborns’ ears are even more sensitive, especially if the noise is near their ears like a swing’s noise box or motor might be. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 Cloudy early, then gradual clearing, with a high near 37. Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 24 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Confidence: Medium Tonight: Clouds thicken even more into the night, with a sprinkle or shower possible during the pre-dawn hours, especially nearer sunrise. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The debate has been bubbling for months, as countries nearest to Russia – such as Poland and the former Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – have tried to nudge other European leaders toward the more assertive Option 2. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 A bit reminiscent of A Quiet Place, Arcadian takes place in a near future where normal life on Earth has been decimated. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Read on for more info about the new spring menu at Starbucks, and stop by your nearest Starbucks today for a little floral pick-me-up to get you through these last official weeks of winter. Lauren Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024 Gambling experts say there are more states to come in the near future, including Alabama. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Those in cars or mobile homes should try to shelter in the nearest sturdy building. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Earth’s two nearest planets —- Venus and Mars —- are hardly hotbeds of habitability. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 In the near future, NASA plans to take part in a similar mission, called Artemis, to learn about the moon in an effort to eventually send the first woman, person of color and international partner astronaut there. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Perhaps those justices, nearing the question of who will replace them, would like to see Trump win, and therefore don't want a trial that could hurt Trump's chances before Election Day, Melissa Murray, a New York University law professor, said on Strict Scrutiny. Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 The plan’s omission from the budget marks the latest and biggest blow as the 60-day General Assembly session in Richmond nears its end. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 As the eclipse nears totality, about five minutes prior, the human eye enters the mesopic vision zone, where surroundings begin to look less colorful, turning a gray and silvery color. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Earlier in the day, the stock dipped below $2 a share and neared the lowest price the stock ever traded at. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 And in 2000, it was proclaimed a modern classic, nearing the top of a National Theater list of significant 20th-century plays. Benedict Nightingale, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 That ban was recently added to a major energy omnibus bill that is nearing passage and is the priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 To be sure, production from these mines — most of which are small and nearing the end of their lives — would comprise a small fraction of the world’s uranium supply. Jacob Lorinc, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2024 Many of the radio squirrels are retired or nearing retirement. Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'near.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Preposition, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English ner, partly from ner nearer, from Old English nēar, comparative of nēah nigh; partly from Old Norse nær nearer, comparative of nā- nigh — more at nigh

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of near was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near near

Cite this Entry

“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

near

1 of 4 adverb
1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
night was drawing near
2
: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost
near dead
3
: nearly sense 1
near related

near

2 of 4 preposition
(ˈ)ni(ə)r
: close to
standing near the door

near

3 of 4 adjective
ˈni(ə)r
1
: closely related or associated
her nearest and dearest friend
2
a
: not far away
the near future
b
: barely avoided
a near disaster
c
: almost not happening
a near victory
3
: being the closer of two
the near side of a hill
4
: direct entry 2 sense 1, short
the nearest route
5
: closely resembling a model or a genuine example
near silk
nearness noun

near

4 of 4 verb
ˈni(ə)r
: to come near : approach
the ship was nearing the dock
Etymology

Adverb

Old English nēar "nearer," comparative form of nēah "near, close" — related to neighbor, nigh see Word History at neighbor

More from Merriam-Webster on near

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