near
A1neutral
Definition
Meaning
at or to a short distance in space or time; close to
almost achieving something; similar in nature or quality; closely related; approaching a particular state or condition
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can function as preposition, adverb, adjective, and verb. As adjective, often implies proximity but not immediate adjacency. Temporal use is common. Figurative uses include emotional closeness and similarity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal differences. British English slightly more likely to use 'near to' as preposition. 'Near' as verb (approach) is somewhat more literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Similar connotations in both varieties. Slightly more formal when used as verb.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both varieties. Prepositional use most common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
near + nounbe/get/draw near + (to) + nounnowhere near + adjective/nounnear + -ing formVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “near and dear”
- “so near and yet so far”
- “near the knuckle”
- “nowhere near”
- “near thing”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in project timelines ('near completion'), market analysis ('near competitors'), financial reporting ('near record profits')
Academic
Used in statistical analysis ('near significance'), geographical descriptions ('near the equator'), historical timelines ('near the end of the century')
Everyday
Most common in spatial descriptions ('near the shop'), temporal references ('near Christmas'), approximations ('near enough')
Technical
In engineering ('near field'), aviation ('near miss'), computing ('near real-time')
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The train is nearing the station
- She is nearing retirement age
- We neared the end of our journey
American English
- The project is nearing completion
- He's nearing sixty years old
- They neared the finish line
adverb
British English
- Christmas is drawing near
- He lives quite near
- The deadline is near
American English
- Summer is getting near
- Don't come too near
- The end is near
adjective
British English
- The nearest post office is on High Street
- My near relatives live abroad
- It was a near disaster
American English
- The nearest gas station is two miles away
- Her near friend helped her move
- We had a near accident yesterday
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop is near my house
- My birthday is near
- Sit near me, please
- We live near the city centre
- The project is near completion
- It's nowhere near finished
- The two theories are near identical in their conclusions
- She had a near-perfect score on the exam
- The company came near to bankruptcy last year
- His interpretation hews near to the original text's intent
- The negotiations are nearing a critical juncture
- This approximation comes tantalisingly near to solving the equation
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
NEAR = Not Extremely Away, Really
Conceptual Metaphor
PROXIMITY IS SIMILARITY (near-identical), TIME IS SPACE (near future), EMOTIONAL CLOSENESS IS PHYSICAL CLOSENESS (near to my heart)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'near' as 'рядом' when it means 'almost' (near perfect ≠ *рядом совершенный)
- Don't confuse 'near' (близко) with 'nearly' (почти) in all contexts
- Russian 'недалеко' implies measurable distance while 'near' can be figurative
Common Mistakes
- *I live near to London (redundant 'to' in American English)
- *The station is near from here (incorrect preposition)
- *We near arrived (incorrect verb use instead of 'nearly arrived')
- *It's near impossible (should be 'nearly impossible' in formal writing)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'near' as a verb?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are correct. 'Near to' is slightly more common in British English, while American English often uses just 'near'. 'Near to' can sound more formal or emphatic.
They're largely interchangeable, but 'close' often suggests tighter proximity. 'Close' is more common in emotional contexts ('close friends'), while 'near' is more common in temporal contexts ('near future'). 'Close' requires 'to' as preposition ('close to the door').
Yes, but with nuance. 'Near relatives' means closely related family. 'Near friend' exists but 'close friend' is more common. With physical proximity, 'near me' is fine, but 'next to me' is more precise for immediate adjacency.
'Nowhere near' is an emphatic negative meaning 'not at all close to'. It can modify adjectives ('nowhere near ready'), nouns ('nowhere near the truth'), or stand alone ('Are we there yet?' 'Nowhere near!').
Collections
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Basic Adjectives
A1 · 46 words · Fundamental describing words used every day.