Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Nearest in space or position; adjacent.
  • adjective Immediately following, as in time, order, or sequence.
  • adverb In the time, order, or place nearest or immediately following.
  • adverb On the first subsequent occasion.
  • noun The next person or thing.
  • idiom (next to) Adjacent to.
  • idiom (next to) Following in order or degree.
  • idiom (next to) Almost; practically.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Nighest; nearest; in the place, position, rank, or turn which is nearest: as, next before; next after you.
  • In the place or turn immediately succeeding: as, Who comes next?
  • Almost; within a little of being: as, next to nothing.
  • Nearest to; immediately adjacent to.
  • Nighest; nearest in place or position; adjoining: as, the next town; the next room.
  • Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately succeeding: as, advise me in your next letter; next time; next month.
  • Nearest or shortest in point of distance or of time; most direct in respect of the way or means.
  • The last preceding.
  • Synonyms Nearest, Next. See near.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In the time, place, or order nearest or immediately succeeding.
  • Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening.
  • Nearest in time.
  • Adjoining in a series; immediately preceding or following in order.
  • Nearest in degree, quality, rank, right, or relation.
  • (Law) one who represents an infant, a married woman, or any person who can not appear sui juris, in a suit at law.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Following in a sequence.
  • adjective Being closer to the present location than all other items.
  • adjective Nearest following (of date, time, space or order).
  • adjective figuratively Following in a hypothetical sequence of some kind.
  • determiner The one immediately following the current or most recent one
  • determiner Closest to seven days (one week) in advance.
  • adverb In a time, place or sequence closest or following.
  • adverb On the first subsequent occasion,
  • preposition On the side of; next to.
  • noun The one that follows after this one.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of elected officers) elected but not yet serving
  • adjective immediately following in time or order
  • adverb at the time or occasion immediately following
  • adjective nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English nexte, from Old English nīehsta, nēhst, superlative of nēah, near.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English nexte, nest, from Old English nīehst ("nearest, next"), superlative form of nēah ("nigh, near"), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“nearest, closest”). Cognate with Old Norse næstr (Danish næste), Dutch naast, German nächst.

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Examples

  • But now I hear plainly, even though it be very soft -- the whisper about the bridegroom and the next year, and again quite significantly, the _next_ year.

    How to Sing [Meine Gesangskunst] Lilli Lehmann 1888

  • 'But I am quite willing at some future opportunity -- indeed, I may say I hope at some opportunity comparatively not distant, to consider the advisability of representing the matter to the heads of certain departments who might be able, in the course of the next but one Septennial Parliament, or' (even more sanguinely) 'I might under favourable circumstances even hope to say, the _next_ Septennial Parliament, to lay the topic before the

    'That Very Mab' Andrew Lang 1878

  • Fields was very grave about my going on to New Bedford (55 miles) next day, and then coming on here (180 miles) _next_ day.

    The Life of Charles Dickens, Vol. I-III, Complete John Forster 1844

  • InfoFormat ( "Recalculating next entry based on a time of {0}" lookBackTime); _next = _timetable.

    DotNetSlackers Latest ASP.NET News Clarity Blogs: ASP.NET 2010

  • If Mr. Bloomberg finishes out his term next year, he, too, will be 71, but since his birthday is in February and Mr. Beame's was in March, Mr. Bloomberg would be the city's oldest serving mayor in the final weeks of his third term.

    Mayor, 70, Nods Little to Age Michael Howard Saul 2012

  • Hutchison announced in January that she would not seek another term next year, opening up a U.S. Senate seat that Republicans such as Lt. Gov David Dewhurst and former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert openly covet.

    Liberal radio host wants Tommy Lee Jones for Senate 2011

  • Ensign, who recently announced he would not seek another term next year, has been investigated by federal prosecutors and the Senate Ethics Committee for actions stemming from his affair with Hampton's wife, Cynthia.

    Former aide to Sen. John Ensign indicted by feds 2011

  • In order for me to move on to the next level notice the use of the term next levelless crass and intimidating than saying, in order for you to ever get a piece of this, I need to see you in person.

    Become Your Own Matchmaker Patti Stanger with Lisa Johnson Mandell 2009

  • Several years ago I began using the term next practices in an effort to focus people forward in their thinking.

    Forbes.com: News Mike Myatt 2011

  • "The reason I'm not as concerned as my colleagues who are running for re-election -- and I would hope that they too would support it -- is that as with any budget it is notional, it is aspirational, it does not have the specific legislative provisions that would be necessary to implement it," said Kyl, who in February announced he wouldn't seek another term next year.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

Comments

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  • Lazy techie verb: to click "next" on a software install.

    Search for "next your way" gives

    "I'm sad to say, but you absolutely cannot Next-Next-Next your way through this installer, or you'll find ..."

    'Just “Next your way” through the wizard so you can get all the goodies.'

    'Just agree/accept/next your way through it. Nothing you can configure.'

    April 18, 2016

  • Aarggh, make it Back.

    April 18, 2016