Synonyms of contiguous

contiguous

adjective

kən-ˈti-gyə-wəs 

as in adjacent

having a border in common

Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adjacent
• neighboring
• adjoining
• closest
• bordering
• abutting
• conterminous
• united
• joining
• flanking
• juxtaposed
• attached
• touching
• close
• nearest
• fringing
• connected
• linked
• nearby
• flush
• connecting
• surrounding
• near
• verging
• skirting
• approximate
• next-door
• communicating
• joined
• encircling
• peripheral
• immediate
• marginal
• fencing
• bounding
• enclosing
• nigh
• embracing
• tangential
• interconnecting
• encompassing
• circumjacent
• ambient
• tangent
• rimming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noncontiguous
• discrete
• separate
• single
• nonadjacent
• apart
• isolated
• unconnected
• detached
• distant
• free-standing
• unattached
• isolate
• unlinked
• disconnected
• removed
• farthest
• remote
• far
• discontinuous
• away
• divided
• noncontinuous
• resolved
• split
• severed
• far-off
• broken up
• dissociated
• faraway
• divorced
• disunited
• parted
• uncoupled
• ramified
• disjoined
• sundered
• dissevered
• unyoked

Synonym Chooser

How is the word contiguous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of contiguous are adjacent, adjoining, and juxtaposed. While all these words mean "being in close proximity," contiguous implies having contact on all or most of one side.

offices in all 48 contiguous states

When might adjacent be a better fit than contiguous?

While in some cases nearly identical to contiguous, adjacent may or may not imply contact but always implies absence of anything of the same kind in between.

a house with an adjacent garage

When can adjoining be used instead of contiguous?

While the synonyms adjoining and contiguous are close in meaning, adjoining definitely implies meeting and touching at some point or line.

had adjoining rooms at the hotel

When would juxtaposed be a good substitute for contiguous?

The words juxtaposed and contiguous can be used in similar contexts, but juxtaposed means placed side by side especially so as to permit comparison and contrast.

a skyscraper juxtaposed to a church

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contiguous

In a February 2026 report, the National Hurricane Center said Helene was the deadliest hurricane in the contiguous United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

As stewards of the largest contiguous open space on Aquidneck Island, our biggest challenge is scale. — Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

Districts would no longer need to be compact, contiguous or required to respect geographic boundaries, allowing them to be drawn nearly any way our legislature finds convenient for its political aims. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026

In 2021, the city voted to permit recreational shooting on any private property within the city greater than 20 contiguous acres. — Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026

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