Nearnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state or condition of being close in proximity or location to something else; a quality that denotes a lack of distance or separation between entities; the concept of closeness relating to physical space or emotional connection
2. The characteristic of being situated right next to another person or object; the measure of how closely one item is located to another in terms of distance; an emotional or relational closeness that enhances bonds between individuals
3. An attribute that describes the relative closeness of objects or individuals in space; the absence of significant distance facilitating interaction or connection; a figurative sense indicating the intimacy of relationships or feelings

Etymology: "Nearnesses" is simply the plural of "nearness," which is "near" plus the abstract noun suffix "-ness." "Near" comes from Old English "nēar," a comparative-turned-positive form whose root also gave us "nigh," and the suffix "-ness" (Old English "-nes") has been used since Anglo-Saxon times to turn adjectives into nouns of quality, as in "kindness" or "darkness." "Nearness" appears in English from the Old English period onward, and it has long carried both physical and emotional senses, so a sentence about a couple's emotional closeness and one about the spacing of two objects draw on the same root. The plural "nearnesses" is much less common, used when a writer wants to treat separate instances or degrees of closeness as distinct things, such as several different ways two people or objects are drawn together.

Synonyms: proximity, closeness

Antonyms: distance, remoteness