vicinity

/vəˈsɪnədi/

/vɪˈsɪnɪti/

Other forms: vicinities

If something is in your vicinity, it's in the surrounding area or nearby region — it's in the neighborhood, so to speak. If there's a garbage dump in your vicinity, you'll certainly smell it.

The noun vicinity evolved from the Latin vicinitas, which means “of or pertaining to neighbors or a neighborhood.” Not until 1796 did the word expand in meaning to also describe a “surrounding district.” Said American author Washington Irving, “A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.” Slang for vicinity include neck of the woods and turf.

Definitions of vicinity

1. noun

   a surrounding or nearby region
   “the plane crashed in the vicinity of Asheville”

   synonyms: locality, neck of the woods, neighborhood, neighbourhood

   examples:

   Latin Quarter

   the region of Paris on the southern bank of the Seine; a center of artistic and student life

   Montmartre

   the highest point in Paris; famous for its associations with many artists

   Right Bank

   the region of Paris on the north bank of the Seine

   Charlestown

   a former town and present-day neighborhood of Boston; settled in 1629

   types:

   gold coast

   a rich neighborhood noted for expensive homes and luxurious living; usually along a coastal area

   'hood

   (slang) a neighborhood

   place

   a general vicinity

   proximity

   the region close around a person or thing

   scenery

   the appearance of a place

   front, presence

   the immediate proximity of someone or something

   landscape

   an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

   seascape

   a view of the sea

   type of:

   section

   a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people