adjective
contiguous
kuhn-TIG-yoo-uhs
Contiguous (adjective) means sharing a common border, or touching along an edge, so that there is no gap in between. Example: “Ohio is contiguous with Pennsylvania.”
adjective
1
Sharing a common border, or touching along an edge, so that there is no gap in between.
"Ohio is contiguous with Pennsylvania."
"The farm is made up of four contiguous fields."
2
Following one another without a break in a sequence of time or space.
"Staff must take at least ten contiguous days of leave each year."
"The file is stored in contiguous blocks on the disk."
How to use contiguous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTouching, with nothing in between.
When to use it
Formal or technical. Common in geography, law, computing and property description.
Memory tip
Contiguous and contagious look alike but are unrelated — contagious means spreading by contact, as with a disease.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
contiguous states
contiguous zone
contiguous memory
contiguous with
contiguous border
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Ohio is _____ with Pennsylvania.
Etymology
From Latin contiguus 'touching, bordering', from contingere 'to touch, to be in contact', formed from con- 'together' and tangere 'to touch'.
Synonyms
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adjoining
abutting
bordering
adjacent
neighbouring
consecutive
successive
unbroken
continuous
conterminous
neighboring
immediate
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for contiguous
See all rhymes for contiguous →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between contiguous and adjacent?
Contiguous things actually touch along a shared boundary, whereas adjacent things are merely near or next to each other and may have a gap between them. Two houses separated by a lane are adjacent but not contiguous.
What is the difference between contiguous and continuous?
Continuous means uninterrupted in itself, while contiguous means touching another thing. A single unbroken fence is continuous; two fences meeting end to end are contiguous.
What are the contiguous United States?
They are the 48 states that share land borders with one another, plus the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The term is preferred over 'continental' because Alaska is also on the North American continent.
What is the meaning of contiguous?
"contiguous" (adjective) means sharing a common border, or touching along an edge, so that there is no gap in between.
