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next

Pronunciation: /nɛkst/
Translate next | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of next

adjective

  • 1(of a time) coming immediately after the time of writing or speaking:we’ll go to Corfu next year next week’s Cup Final
  • (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) occurring directly after the present one in time, without anything of the same kind intervening:campaigning for 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

  • 1on the first or soonest occasion after the present; immediately afterwards:he wondered what would happen next next, I heard the sound of voices
  • 2 [with superlative] following in the specified order:Jo was the next oldest after Martin

noun

  • the next person or thing:the week after next

determiner

(a next) West Indian
  • another:every year sales down by a next ten per cent again

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 new wardrobe, nothing lifts the spirits like a new hairdo!
  • 3almost:I 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 (or whatever next)

used to express surprise or amazement: ‘Blunt instruments! Murder! Whatever next?’

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 US English dictionary

Nearby words

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