direct neighbors

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "direct neighbors" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to entities or individuals that are immediately adjacent to one another, often in a geographical or relational context. Example: "The two houses are direct neighbors, sharing a fence and a driveway."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

For this purpose, these nodes broadcast HELLO packets, which contain the position, velocity, and direction information, to their direct neighbors.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

A virtual position is the middle position of all direct neighbors of a node.

Computer Communications

Surprisingly, this can be done using subdivision rules that involve direct neighbors only.

Computer Aided Geometric Design

We find that behavior on networks is affected by the number of (direct) neighbors, but not by individualsʼ risk attitudes.

Games and Economic Behavior

The proposed family of schemes is compact in the algorithmic sense, since it only involves communications between direct neighbors of the mesh cells.

Journal of Computational Physics

Do degree correlations extend beyond direct neighbors?

Computational Social Networks

p sends u's information to their common direct neighbors.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Nodal degree is defined as the number of direct neighbors.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Node 13F9BC has 26 direct neighbors organized in sequential order on each coordinate.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Thus, entrenching routing as nodes perform double hopping to the successors of their direct neighbors.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

First, its direct neighbors also have better temporal betweenness than static betweenness.

Computational Social Networks

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing relationships in networks or systems, use "direct neighbors" to specify immediate connections rather than more distant or indirect links.

Common error

Avoid using "direct neighbors" when you actually mean entities that are connected through intermediaries or multiple steps. Use "indirect neighbors" or specify the degree of separation if the connection isn't immediate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "direct neighbors" functions primarily as a noun phrase, often used in technical contexts to describe entities that are immediately adjacent or connected within a network, graph, or system. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use across various scientific disciplines.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

86%

News & Media

7%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "direct neighbors" is a noun phrase primarily used in scientific and technical contexts to denote immediate adjacency or connections. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and frequently used to describe relationships in networks, graphs, or spatial arrangements. While it maintains a formal and scientific register, its communicative purpose is to specify precise connections, distinguishing them from indirect links. When writing, ensure you’re referring to immediate connections, not those mediated by intermediaries. Alternative phrases include "adjacent entities" or "immediate neighbors", depending on the desired level of formality and the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

neighboring items

Simply indicates items that are located next to each other.

adjacent entities

Emphasizes the adjacency of entities without specifying the nature of the relationship.

adjoining components

Focuses on components that are next to each other and part of a larger system.

proximal elements

Highlights elements that are close or near to each other.

contiguous units

Implies units that are touching or connected in a sequence.

abutting elements

Highlights elements that share a common boundary.

immediate vicinity

Focuses on the area or space surrounding a particular point.

surrounding entities

Emphasizes the entities that encircle or are positioned around a central point.

nearest counterparts

Suggests the closest matching items or entities.

closest associates

Refers to entities that are most closely linked or affiliated.

FAQs

How do you use "direct neighbors" in a sentence?

You can use "direct neighbors" to describe elements that are immediately adjacent or connected, such as "The algorithm only considers the "direct neighbors" of each node when calculating the average."

What's the difference between "direct neighbors" and "adjacent elements"?

"Direct neighbors" implies an immediate connection or proximity, while "adjacent elements" simply means that elements are next to each other. The former is commonly used in network and graph theory, while the latter applies more generally.

What are some alternatives to "direct neighbors"?

Depending on the context, you could use terms like "immediate neighbors", "adjacent elements", or "proximal units".

Is it correct to say "directly neighboring" instead of "direct neighbors"?

While "directly neighboring" is grammatically correct, ""direct neighbors"" is more commonly used, especially in technical and scientific writing. "Directly neighboring" emphasizes the action of being a neighbor, which is not always the intended meaning.