adjacency

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'adjacency' is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a close proximity or nearness between two or more things. For example, "The adjacency of these two neighborhoods allows for easy access to the city center."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

As he thinks about how to get his company growing in a declining cigarette market, Szymanczyk has etched out what he calls an "adjacency strategy," pursuing new products that are "adjacent" to cigarettes.

The New York Times - Magazine

Although retailers think they know how to position products in a way that will maximise sales, says Peter Hoyt of the In-store Marketing Institute, "the science of adjacency is not a science".

The Economist

Since there exists an index as a separate file that provides information about the locations of words and phrases in the database records, the relationships that are of interest (e.g., word adjacency) can be calculated from the index.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It's not that she likes the view or our adjacency to a dazzling array of manicure and bikini-wax outposts; it's the Laurel Canyon dog park, full of more canine odors and new friends than she would have met her whole life in the country.

The New Yorker

Schumer often dresses in clothes that look like they've been stored in tense adjacency to Chinese-food containers.

The New Yorker

Fischlin thus closes a circle of adjacency and relation: the where made? by whom?

The New Yorker

Another woman, Abigail Ross Goodman, lost her best friend, who'd been on the ninety-sixth floor of the North Tower, when Flight 11, with her father aboard, crashed into it — a meaningful adjacency, to be sure.

The New Yorker

The adjacency of fortune and misfortune, the coin toss that decides who lives and who dies, who wins and who loses: these subjects require not just eloquence and feeling but an analysis of the whole social order that in other hands would seem incompatible with lyric compression and intensity.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

The authors grant that their method isn't perfect; on a validation test, it misattributed several plays whose authorship isn't in dispute, and there are playwrights, such as Thomas Nashe, who didn't leave behind enough single-authored plays to generate a meaningful word-adjacency network.

The New Yorker

The article examines how likely it is that a playwright will use one function word near another, a group of tendencies they dub a "word-adjacency network".

The New Yorker

From "virtual health care" to "cloud computing" and "safety and security" to "routers in space", the company is tackling more than 30 "market adjacencies", as new areas of growth are called in the corporate argot.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing relationships between entities, carefully consider the specific nuance you want to convey. Use "adjacency" when you want to emphasize the state of being next to something, often implying influence or interaction.

Common error

While "adjacency" and "proximity" both refer to nearness, "adjacency" often implies a direct connection or shared boundary, whereas "proximity" simply indicates closeness in distance. Use "adjacency" when direct connection is relevant.

Linguistic Context

The word "adjacency" functions primarily as a noun, denoting the state or quality of being adjacent or near. Ludwig confirms that "adjacency" is correctly used to describe the relationship of being next to something.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

3%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "adjacency" is a noun primarily used to describe the state of being next to or near something. It's grammatically correct and frequently found in formal contexts, particularly in news, scientific, and encyclopedia sources. Ludwig confirms its validity and common usage. While synonyms like "proximity" and "closeness" exist, "adjacency" specifically emphasizes a direct connection or shared boundary. Use it carefully to convey the intended nuance in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

proximity

Focuses on the state of being near in space or time.

closeness

Emphasizes a close physical or emotional relationship.

contiguity

Highlights the condition of sharing a common border or touching.

nearness

Indicates the quality of being close in distance.

vicinity

Refers to the area surrounding a particular place.

juxtaposition

Highlights the act of placing two things close together, especially for comparison.

apposition

Describes the state of being placed side by side or close together.

connection

Suggests a link or relationship between two things.

association

Implies a mental link or relationship between ideas or things.

linkage

Focuses on the means or system of connecting things.

FAQs

How is "adjacency" used in a sentence?

"Adjacency" is used to describe the state of being next to or near something. For example, "The "adjacency of the two buildings" facilitated easy access between departments."

What are synonyms for "adjacency"?

Synonyms for "adjacency" include "proximity", "closeness", "contiguity", and "nearness". The best choice depends on the specific context.

How does "adjacency" differ from "proximity"?

"Adjacency" implies a more direct or immediate nearness than "proximity". "Adjacency" often suggests touching or sharing a boundary, while "proximity" simply means being nearby.

Is "adjacency" a formal word?

Yes, "adjacency" is generally considered a formal word and is appropriate for academic, professional, and technical writing. In more casual contexts, words like "closeness" or "nearness" might be more suitable.