A neighbor is someone who lives near you. Your neighbors might live in the house next door, across the street, or down the hall in an apartment building. In rural areas where houses are spread far apart, your nearest neighbor might live a mile away but still count as a neighbor because they're the closest people around.

Neighbors often look out for each other. They might water your plants when you're on vacation, lend you an egg when you're baking, or help shovel snow from your driveway. Some neighbors become close friends who share meals and celebrate holidays together. Others remain friendly but distant, exchanging waves and brief conversations.

People sometimes talk about being a good neighbor, which means being considerate of the people around you. If you're playing music loudly late at night, you're disturbing your neighbors. If you see a neighbor's package sitting in the rain, being neighborly means bringing it to their door.

The word can stretch beyond geography too. In a classroom, your seat neighbor sits beside you. Countries that share a border, like the United States and Canada, are neighboring nations. People sometimes use “love thy neighbor” to express the idea that we should treat everyone around us with kindness and respect.