3

Is there a single word or common expression like homie, roomie, fellow citizen for someone who lives in your neighborhood? I think neighbor can be used just for those that live just next to you or next door while neighborhood could be quite big. Am I right? Is so, what's the word?

Edit: The reason I'm asking this is that in my native language we have a word that the rough translation of it is "same-neighbourhoodie (person)". I know it's awkward in English :). He might live a block away for example. We call people who live next door something else that I always thought it's neighbor.

Thanks

4
  • 2
    Please don't vote to close this as a question that can be answered with a dictionary. Most dictionaries are not clear about subtleties like what this question asks about neighbor, and the question actually asks something that's hard to look up: whether there is a word that matches a specific meaning. (Theoretically a thesaurus can do that, but we all know that seldom works in practice.)
    – Ben Kovitz
    Commented Jun 19, 2016 at 16:43
  • 1
    How big is "quite big"? You could say "in my area", "in my part of town", or "in my neighborhood". Can't think of a single word off-hand. neighbor is usually people living within a few houses of you. I would use neighborhood.
    – user3169
    Commented Jun 19, 2016 at 17:50
  • @user3169, Interesting, I tend to call more than that a neighborhood maybe one or two blocks around near yours but still in your walking distance. Anyway, Is there also an informal and casual way to say neighbor? Like homie. For example, you see your neighbor in the street and you say to your friend, "that's my ..."
    – Yuri
    Commented Jun 19, 2016 at 18:04
  • 2
    Not specific to the fact they live nearby. You have to be a bit careful using homie as it is a slang word, and there is a lot of cultural influence in its use. Using it in an inappropriate setting could be problematic.
    – user3169
    Commented Jun 19, 2016 at 18:23

1 Answer 1

8

Actually, I do not believe that neighbor strictly means people living right next to you.

neighbor
: a person who lives next to or near another person
: a person or thing that is next to or near another

This is why you might (often) hear next-door neighbor. Such a neighbor lives in an adjacent home to you. This is to distinguish that neighbor from a neighbor who lives in a house across from you or down the block.

1
  • Oh, I didn't know that. See in my language we have a different word for that. That probably made me confused and wonder. Thanks.
    – Yuri
    Commented Jun 19, 2016 at 16:44

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .