The difference between Close and Near

When used as nouns, close means an end or conclusion, whereas near means the left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.

When used as verbs, close means to remove a gap. to obstruct (an opening). to move so that an opening is closed. to make (e.g. a gap) smaller. to grapple, whereas near means to come closer to.

When used as adjectives, close means closed, shut, whereas near means physically close.


Near is also preposition with the meaning: close to, in close proximity to.

Near is also adverb with the meaning: having a small intervening distance with regard to something.

check bellow for the other definitions of Close and Near

  1. Close as a verb (physical):

    To remove a gap. To obstruct (an opening). To move so that an opening is closed. To make (e.g. a gap) smaller. To grapple; to engage in close combat.

    Examples:

    "'Close the door behind you when you leave."

    "Jim was listening to headphones with his eyes closed."

    "The runner in second place is closing the gap on the leader."

    "to close the ranks of an army"

  2. Close as a verb (social):

    To finish, to terminate. To put an end to; to conclude; to complete; to finish; to consummate. To come to an end. To make a sale. To make the final outs, usually three, of a game. To terminate an application, window, file or database connection, etc.

    Examples:

    "'close the session;   to close a bargain;   to close a course of instruction"

    "The debate closed at six o'clock."

    "He has closed the last two games for his team."

  3. Close as a verb:

    To come or gather around; to enclose; to encompass; to confine.

  4. Close as a verb (surveying):

    To have a vector sum of 0; that is, to form a closed polygon.

  1. Close as a noun:

    An end or conclusion.

    Examples:

    "We owe them our thanks for bringing the project to a successful close."

  2. Close as a noun:

    The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction.

  3. Close as a noun:

    A grapple in wrestling.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Francis Bacon"

  4. Close as a noun (music):

    The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence.

  5. Close as a noun (music):

    A double bar marking the end.

  1. Close as an adjective (now, rare):

    Closed, shut.

  2. Close as an adjective:

    Narrow; confined.

    Examples:

    "a close alley; close quarters"

  3. Close as an adjective:

    At a little distance; near.

    Examples:

    "Is your house close?"

  4. Close as an adjective (legal):

    Intimate; well-loved. Of a corporation or other business entity, closely held.

    Examples:

    "He is a close friend."

  5. Close as an adjective:

    Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a feeling of lassitude.

  6. Close as an adjective (Ireland, England, Scotland, weather):

    Hot, humid, with no wind.

  7. Close as an adjective (linguistics, phonetics, of a vowel):

    Articulated with the tongue body relatively close to the hard palate.

  8. Close as an adjective:

    Strictly confined; carefully guarded.

    Examples:

    "a close prisoner"

  9. Close as an adjective (obsolete):

    Out of the way of observation; secluded; secret; hidden.

  10. Close as an adjective:

    Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced.

    Examples:

    "a close contest"

  11. Close as an adjective:

    Short.

    Examples:

    "to cut grass or hair close"

  12. Close as an adjective (archaic):

    Dense; solid; compact.

  13. Close as an adjective (archaic):

    Concise; to the point.

    Examples:

    "close reasoning"

  14. Close as an adjective (dated):

    Difficult to obtain.

    Examples:

    "Money is close."

    "rfquotek Bartlett"

  15. Close as an adjective (dated):

    Parsimonious; stingy.

  16. Close as an adjective:

    Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact.

    Examples:

    "a close translation"

    "rfquotek John Locke"

  17. Close as an adjective:

    Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict.

    Examples:

    "The patient was kept under close observation."

  18. Close as an adjective:

    Marked, evident.

  1. Close as a noun (now, rare):

    An enclosed field.

  2. Close as a noun (British):

    A street that ends in a dead end.

  3. Close as a noun (Scotland):

    A very narrow alley between two buildings, often overhung by one of the buildings above the ground floor.

  4. Close as a noun (Scotland):

    The common staircase in a tenement.

  5. Close as a noun:

    A cathedral close.

  6. Close as a noun (legal):

    The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not enclosed.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Bouvier"

  1. Near as an adjective:

    Physically close.

  2. Near as an adjective:

    Closely connected or related.

  3. Near as an adjective:

    Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.

    Examples:

    "a near friend"

  4. Near as an adjective:

    Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.

    Examples:

    "a version near to the original"

  5. Near as an adjective:

    So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.

    Examples:

    "a near escape"

  6. Near as an adjective (of an event):

    Approaching.

    Examples:

    "The end is near."

  7. Near as an adjective:

    Approximate, almost.

    Examples:

    "The two words are near synonyms."

  8. Near as an adjective (dated):

    Next to the driver, when he is on foot; on the left of an animal or a team.

    Examples:

    "the near ox; the near leg"

  9. Near as an adjective (obsolete):

    Immediate; direct; close; short.

  10. Near as an adjective (obsolete, slang):

    Stingy; parsimonious.

  1. Near as an adverb:

    Having a small intervening distance with regard to something.

    Examples:

    "I'm near-sighted."

  2. Near as an adverb (colloquial):

    nearly

  1. Near as a preposition:

    Close to, in close proximity to.

    Examples:

    "There are habitable planets orbiting many of the stars near our Sun."

  2. Near as a preposition:

    Close to in time.

    Examples:

    "The voyage was near completion."

  1. Near as a verb (ambitransitive):

    To come closer to; to approach.

    Examples:

    "The ship nears the land."

  1. Near as a noun:

    The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.