Difference Between “Adjacent” and “Adjoining”

Adjacent vs Adjoining

Sometimes, we have two words that mean almost the same thing but are a little different. “Adjacent” and “adjoining” are two such words. Let’s understand how they are different.

History of the Words

Both words come from old languages. “Adjacent” comes from the Latin word “adjacere” which means “to lie near”. “Adjoining” comes from the Latin word “adjungere” which means “to join to”. So even from their history, we see they both talk about something being close or connected.

How to Use Them

Adjacent

“Adjacent” means “next to” or “close to”. It does not mean touching. Here are some examples:

• The park is adjacent to the school.
• My house is adjacent to a grocery store.
• The library is adjacent to the coffee shop.
• He sat on a chair adjacent to mine.
• The field is adjacent to the river.

Adjoining

“Adjoining” means “next to and touching”. It means things are connected. Here are some examples:

• We booked two adjoining rooms at the hotel.
• The kitchen is adjoining the living room.
• My bedroom has an adjoining bathroom.
• They live in adjoining houses.
• The restaurant has an adjoining cafe.

Trick to Remember the Difference

One way to remember is to think of “adjoining” as touching and “adjacent” as close but not touching. If things are “adjoining,” they are always touching. If they are “adjacent,” they just need to be very near each other.

Summary

“Adjacent” means very near but not touching. “Adjoining” means next to and touching. Both talk about things being close, but “adjoining” always means touching. Remember this, and you will use them correctly.