Neighbor

A person who lives nearby or shares a local community.

Reach for it when referring warmly to a person connected by place and everyday mutual responsibility

A neighbor brought warm food while the family recovered.

• everyday

  friend nearby

  when affection matters more than the formal relationship

  not when A neighbor need not be a friend, and a nearby friend may live outside the locality.

• everyday

  local

  when shared area matters but exact residential proximity does not

  not when Local can describe anyone from the area and can sound impersonal.

• everyday

  next-door neighbor

  when immediate residential proximity is important

  not when The phrase is too exact for someone who lives several streets away.

• warm

  community member

  when participation and shared belonging matter more than address

  not when A community can be professional or online and need not be geographical.

• professional

  resident

  when official connection to a place is the relevant fact

  not when Resident does not imply living near the speaker or taking part in community life.

• formal

  fellow citizen

  when civic equality and shared public life are the point

  not when Citizenship language can exclude valued residents without that legal status.

• formal

  householder

  when responsibility for a nearby home is relevant

  not when Householder excludes many renters, dependants, and unhoused community members.

• literary

  compatriot

  when shared country creates a broad figurative neighborhood

  not when Compatriot is national and far more distant than ordinary neighbor.

• stranger
• outsider
• distant resident

• next-door neighbor

  Our next-door neighbor keeps a spare key for emergencies.

• good neighbor

  A good neighbor asked before trimming the shared hedge.

• help a neighbor

  Several teenagers offered to help a neighbor carry groceries upstairs.