Bordering
/ˈbɔːrdərɪŋ/
verbIntermediate📊CommonLocation
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To be adjacent to; to form a boundary with.
/ˈbɔːrdərɪŋ/
verbneutralIntermediate
Location
To be situated at the edge or boundary of something.
The property is bordering the river.
💡 Simply: To be next to something.
More Examples
2
His actions were bordering on illegal.
How It's Used
Geography
"The small town is bordering a vast national park."
Everyday conversation
"His behavior is bordering on unacceptable."
From "border" + "ing", indicating the present participle. The root traces back to Old French "bordure" and ultimately to Latin "bordus", meaning "edge" or "rim."
The usage of "bordering" has remained consistent throughout history, primarily referring to geographical boundaries and later expanding to metaphorical boundaries.
Memory tip
Think of a border separating two countries - bordering means being at that edge.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"edge, rim"
Base: border
bordering onbordering abordering the
Common misspellings
borderringborderin
Practice
Usage
40%Spoken
60%Written