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Contiguous

Touching or sharing a common border; adjacent or directly next to something with no gap between them.

adjective

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Imagine This

Picture a row of townhouses that share walls with their neighbors. You can walk from one doorstep to the next without stepping onto a street—the houses are contiguous.

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Sounds Like

kun-TIG-yoo-uhs

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Looks Like

Looks similar to 'continuous' in spelling and to 'contiguity' in meaning; both relate to closeness or touching.

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Remember This

Used to describe places or things that touch or are immediately next to each other, such as contiguous states or contiguous plots of land.

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Other Forms

contiguitynoun

contiguouslyadverb

contiguousnessnoun

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Connect With

adjacent, adjoining, neighboring, abutting, touching, border

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Note

Do not confuse with 'continuous,' which means unbroken or uninterrupted. Contiguous emphasizes touching along a border or being directly adjacent.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The contiguous United States excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
Two parcels are contiguous if they share a common boundary.

Synonyms

adjacentadjoiningneighboringabuttingtouching

Antonyms

disconnecteddistantnoncontiguous

Etymology

From Latin contiguus 'touching, neighboring', from con- 'together' + tangere 'to touch'. The English form appeared in the late 16th century.

Mnemonic

CONTIGUOUS: con = together, and imagine two neighboring tiles that touch along a shared edge—two things that are contigu-ous are touching side by side.