contiguous

contiguous — adjective

1. describes two or more areas or objects whose edges or borders lie next to each o

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes two or more areas or objects whose edges or borders lie next to each other without any space between them.

例句

Canada and the United States share the longest contiguous border in the world.

collocation: contiguous border

The three contiguous rooms on the second floor became one large classroom.

collocation: contiguous rooms

同義詞
  • adjacent

    Most common and neutral term; simply means 'next to', with or without actual contact — less precise than contiguous.

  • adjoining

    Implies a shared boundary or connection point, such as adjoining rooms sharing a door or wall.

  • abutting

    Technical term used mainly in property law and construction; means directly touching along a boundary.

  • neighbouring

    More general — refers to things in the same area without necessarily touching; commonly used for regions or countries.

反義詞
  • separate

    Not connected or touching; the most general opposite.

  • isolated

    Emphasises being apart or cut off from other things.

  • noncontiguous

    The direct negative form; used in technical and formal contexts.

文法句型

contiguous + noun

be + contiguous + with/to + noun

用法筆記

More formal than 'touching' or 'next to'. Commonly used in geography, property descriptions, urban planning, and technical writing. In everyday conversation, simpler alternatives like 'next to each other' or 'touching' are preferred.

常見錯誤

❌The two countries have a contiguous history of trade.
✅The two countries share a long history of continuous trade.
💡'contiguous' describes physical touching, not ongoing activity. Use 'continuous' for unbroken time.
❌The disease was contiguous among the children.
✅The disease was contagious among the children.
💡'contiguous' and 'contagious' are often confused due to similar spelling. 'Contagious' refers to disease transmission.

2. describing events, periods, or items that follow one another without a break or

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describing events, periods, or items that follow one another without a break or gap in between.

例句

The company reported losses for three contiguous quarters before returning to profit.

collocation: contiguous quarters

Maja studied two contiguous chapters every night to prepare for the final exam.

collocation: contiguous chapters

同義詞
  • consecutive

    The most common alternative for temporal sequences; less formal than 'contiguous' but carries the same meaning of one after another.

  • successive

    Emphasises the order of following in sequence; often used for lists or rankings.

  • uninterrupted

    Focuses on the absence of a break rather than on the order of items; broader in meaning.

反義詞
  • interrupted

    Having breaks or pauses between events or items.

  • disconnected

    Not linked or following in sequence; with gaps.

  • separate

    Individual items that are not part of a continuous sequence.

文法句型

contiguous + noun (time period or sequence)

用法筆記

Primarily used in formal, academic, or technical contexts such as finance (contiguous quarters), computing (contiguous data blocks), and statistics (contiguous data points). In everyday English, 'consecutive' or 'back-to-back' are more common alternatives.

常見錯誤

❌I read three contiguous books this weekend.
✅I read three books in a row this weekend.
💡'contiguous' sounds overly formal for casual reading. Use 'in a row' or 'consecutive' instead.
❌The movie had contiguous action from start to finish.
✅The movie had continuous action from start to finish.
💡'contiguous' refers to items in a sequence touching each other, not to something being uninterrupted within itself.