Adjacent: next to or adjoining
Adjacent means next to or adjoining something. It comes from Latin adjacere, meaning to lie near. Rooms 12 and 14 may be adjacent if their doors are side by side; their numbers alone do not establish the relationship, because adjacent describes position rather than numerical sequence.
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A word for relative position
Adjacent is an adjective meaning next to or adjoining. Its source is Latin adjacere, formed from elements meaning to lie near.
The usual construction is adjacent to. A room is adjacent to the kitchen. A field is adjacent to the road. In everyday use, the word indicates a close positional relationship, often immediately beside something.
- Adjacent seats are next to one another.
- Adjacent buildings stand beside one another.
Use a more exact description when the distinction matters. Adjacent rooms may share a wall, but the word alone does not promise an internal connecting door. If someone needs to move directly between them, say whether such a door exists rather than relying on the location word to communicate access.