contiguity: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Academic, Technical
Quick answer
What does “contiguity” mean?
The state of being next to or touching another thing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The state of being next to or touching another thing; adjacency.
The state or quality of being in direct contact, or a series of events, objects, or ideas that are directly connected in time or space.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is consistent in both varieties; no significant lexical or syntactic differences.
Connotations
In both varieties, carries a formal, technical tone, most often used in academic, legal, or geographic contexts.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general speech; used almost exclusively in specialized formal writing and discourse in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “contiguity” in a Sentence
The contiguity of X to/with Yin contiguity withadjacency and contiguityVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “contiguity” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The contiguous nature of the properties was disputed.
American English
- The plot must be contiguous to the main road.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in real estate or logistics, e.g., 'The contiguity of the warehouse plots is a key asset.'
Academic
Common in geography, psychology, law, and urban planning. E.g., 'The study examined the cognitive effects of temporal contiguity in associative learning.'
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be replaced by 'next to each other', 'touching', or 'close together'.
Technical
Core term in geography (contiguous zones), data science (contiguous memory allocation), and psychology (law of contiguity).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “contiguity”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “contiguity”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “contiguity”
- Misspelling as 'contiguty' or 'contiguety'.
- Using it as a synonym for simple 'similarity' rather than 'adjacency'.
- Pronouncing the 'g' as hard /g/ instead of /dʒ/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, formal term used primarily in academic, technical, and legal contexts.
'Contiguity' specifically implies touching or sharing a border/point of contact. 'Proximity' means nearness, which can include a range of distances without direct contact.
Yes, especially in psychology (e.g., 'temporal contiguity' in learning theory) and narrative analysis, where it refers to events happening close together in time.
The adjective is 'contiguous'. For example, 'the 48 contiguous states of the USA'.
The state of being next to or touching another thing.
Contiguity is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Contiguity: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɒn.tɪˈɡjuː.ə.ti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɑːn.t̬əˈɡjuː.ə.t̬i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(none - term is not used idiomatically)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'CONTIGuity' as containing 'CONTIGuous' – things that are contiguous are in a state of contiguity, touching or adjacent.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONNECTION IS PHYSICAL TOUCH (Ideas or events in contiguity are metaphorically seen as touching each other).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'contiguity' LEAST likely to be used professionally?