adj
C2
Proficient
proximal
PROK-sih-muhl
Proximal (adj) means Located nearer to the center of the body, a point of attachment, or a point of reference. Example: “The proximal end of the femur connects to the hip joint.”
adj
1
Located nearer to the center of the body, a point of attachment, or a point of reference.
"The proximal end of the femur connects to the hip joint."
2
Closer to the speaker, in linguistics or general usage.
"Words like "this" and "here" are proximal, pointing to something nearby."
How to use proximal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNearer to a reference point — often used in anatomy to mean "closer to the body's center."
Common mistake
Easy to mix up with its opposite, distal ("farther away") — proximal always means closer.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more proximal
- Superlative
- most proximal
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The _____ end of the femur connects to the hip joint.
Etymology
From Latin proximus, the superlative form of prope, "near."
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for proximal
See all rhymes for proximal →Frequently asked questions
What does “proximal” mean?
The word “proximal” means located nearer to the center of the body, a point of attachment, or a point of reference. In plain terms, nearer to a reference point — often used in anatomy to mean "closer to the body's center.".
How do you pronounce “proximal”?
“Proximal” is pronounced PROK-sih-muhl (/ˈpɹɒksɪməl/ in IPA).
How do you use “proximal” in a sentence?
Here is “proximal” used in a sentence: “The proximal end of the femur connects to the hip joint.”
What is the opposite of “proximal”?
The opposite of “proximal” — its antonyms — are antonym(s) of “closer to the point of attachment and closer to the speaker”.
What part of speech is “proximal”?
“Proximal” is an adjective.
Where does the word “proximal” come from?
The word “proximal” comes from Latin. From Latin proximus, the superlative form of prope, "near.".
How many meanings does “proximal” have?
“Proximal” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: located nearer to the center of the body, a point of attachment, or a point of reference.
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