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next

Syllabification: (next)
Pronunciation: /nekst/
Translate next | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of next

adjective

  • 1(of a time or season) coming immediately after the time of writing or speaking:we’ll go next year next week’s parade
  • (of a day of the week) nearest (or the nearest but one) after the present:not this Wednesday, next Wednesday [postpositive]:on Monday next
  • (of an event or occasion) occurring directly in time after the present or most recent one, without anything of the same kind intervening:the next election next time I’ll bring a hat
  • 2coming immediately after the present one in order, rank, or space:the woman in the next room the next chapter building materials were next in importance

adverb

  • on the first or soonest occasion after the present; immediately afterward:wondering what would happen next next, I heard the sound of voices
  • [with superlative] following in the specified order:Joe was the next oldest after Martin

noun

  • the next person or thing:one moment he wasn’t there, the next he was the week after next

preposition

archaic
  • next to:he plodded along next him

Phrases

next in line

immediately below the present holder of a position in order of succession:he is next in line to the throne

next to

  • 1in or into a position immediately to one side of; beside:we sat next to each other
  • 2following in order or importance:next to buying a whole new wardrobe, nothing lifts the spirits quite like a new hairdo!
  • 3almost:Charles knew next to nothing about farming
  • 4in comparison with:next to her I felt like a fraud

the next world

(according to some religious beliefs) the place where one goes after death.

what next

an expression of surprise or amazement.

Origin:

Old English nēhsta 'nearest', superlative of nēah 'nigh'; compare with Dutch naast and German nächste

next in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of next in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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