Words of Positivity
Browse the A to Z index4,633 ENTRIES

Neighborliness

n.kind, calmwarm

What it means

Friendly and helpful behavior toward people nearby.

Reach for it when praising considerate local behavior that turns proximity into community

Simple neighborliness kept older residents connected during the winter.

Choose between these

7
  • everyday

    friendliness

    when a welcoming manner is the chief quality

    not when Friendliness alone does not include practical help or local responsibility.

  • warm

    community spirit

    when shared enthusiasm and action extend across a place

    not when The phrase concerns collective identity, not one person's considerate behavior.

  • warm

    helpfulness

    when practical assistance matters more than local connection

    not when Helpfulness can occur anywhere and need not create an ongoing neighborly bond.

  • professional

    civility

    when respectful everyday conduct is the realistic standard

    not when Civility is thinner and more formal than generous neighborliness.

  • formal

    goodwill

    when benevolent intention supports cooperation

    not when Goodwill may remain only an attitude without any neighborly action.

  • formal

    solidarity

    when neighbors actively support one another through shared difficulty

    not when Solidarity is stronger, often political, and can overstate ordinary kindness.

  • literary

    fellow feeling

    when sympathetic identification with nearby people is central

    not when The phrase is old-fashioned and may sound abstract beside concrete acts.

Said against

3
  • hostility
  • indifference
  • selfishness

It naturally appears in

3
  • spirit of neighborliness

    A spirit of neighborliness kept the cooling center staffed all week.

  • simple neighborliness

    Simple neighborliness meant checking whether the older residents needed medicine.

  • show neighborliness

    Residents show neighborliness by keeping the shared entrance clear.

The word family

1

Where this comes from

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.