Proximates

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To bring close to a certain degree or standard
2. To approach or come near to something in measurement or quality
3. To be similar or akin to something in nature or character

Etymology: "Proximates" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "proximate," meaning to approach or come near to something in measurement or quality. The verb descends from Late Latin "proximātus," the past participle of "proximāre," meaning "to draw near, approach." That Late Latin verb was built on the Latin adjective "proximus," meaning "nearest," which is the superlative of "prope," meaning "near." So the verb carries a built-in sense of getting as close as possible. The verb is the older, root-level meaning, from which the adjective "proximate" (nearest, immediate) developed. Every step of the chain keeps the same idea: something that is near, then something that nears another thing, then the nearest thing of all.

Synonyms: neighbors, adjacents, nearby items, close ones, contiguities

Antonyms: distants, faraways, remotes, outsiders, strangers