closeness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English close

Proto-Germanic *-in-

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti

Proto-Germanic *-ōną

Proto-Germanic *-inōną

Proto-Indo-European *-dyé-

Proto-Germanic *-atjaną

Proto-Indo-European *-tus

Proto-Germanic *-þuz

Proto-Germanic *-assuz

Proto-Germanic *-inassuz

Proto-West Germanic *-nassī

Old English -nes

Middle English -nesse

English -ness

English closeness

From close + -ness.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkləʊs.nəs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkloʊs.nəs/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈkləʉs.nəs/
• Rhymes: -əʊsnəs

Noun

closeness (usually uncountable, plural closenesses)

1. The state of being close (all senses).

   Synonyms: proximity, nearness

3. The state of being friends.

   Synonym: intimacy

4. The state of being mean or stingy.
5. The state of being secretive.
6. (mathematics) The shortest path between two vertices in a graph.
7. (archaic) Solitude, seclusion.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     I thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated / To closeness and the bettering of my mind [...]

Derived terms

• supercloseness

Translations

proximity — see proximity

The state of being friends

• Bulgarian: прия́телство (bg) n (prijátelstvo)
• Finnish: läheisyys (fi)
• Hebrew: קִרְבָה (he) f (qirvá)
• Polish: bliskość (pl) f
• Romanian: prietenie (ro) f
• Spanish: estrechez (es) f, estrechura (es) f, intimidad (es) f
• Tamil: நட்பு (ta) (naṭpu)
• Turkish: yakınlık (tr)

The state of being mean or stingy

• Bulgarian: стиснатост (bg) f (stisnatost)

The state of being secretive

• Bulgarian: потайност (bg) f (potajnost)
• Danish: lukkethed c

solitude, seclusion

• Russian: уедине́ние (ru) n (ujedinénije)
• Tamil: தனிமை (ta) (taṉimai)

The shortest path between two vertices in a graph

• German: Nähe (de) f