Meaning & use
close-knit
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Having strong, warm relationships in which people know each other well and support one another.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: a close-knit family; sometimes after be: the team is close-knit.
Patterns
- a close-knit community
- be close-knit
She grew up in a close-knit family where everyone ate dinner together.
The village is so close-knit that neighbors share their tools.
The players are a close-knit group and spend most weekends together.
adjectivebefore a nounrare
Joined tightly and firmly together, as threads or the parts of something that fit snugly.
Grammar: A less common literal meaning, used mostly for fabric or structure.
Patterns
- close-knit fabric
The blanket was made of close-knit wool that kept out the wind.
A close-knit weave makes the cloth strong.
The sweater has a close-knit pattern of tiny stitches.
Word forms
| comparative | closer-knit |
|---|---|
| superlative | closest-knit |
Common combinations
- close-knit community
- The island is a close-knit community.
- close-knit family
- They come from a close-knit family.
- close-knit group
- The close-knit group of friends travels together every year.
- tight and close-knit
- The team is small and close-knit.
- close-knit neighborhood
- We moved to a close-knit neighborhood with block parties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tight-knit
- Tight-knit is almost identical, though some speakers feel it sounds a little more informal.
- united
- United stresses agreement and common purpose, whereas close-knit stresses affection and closeness.
- cohesive
- Cohesive is a more formal word describing a group that holds together well, without suggesting warmth.
- inseparable
- Inseparable describes two or a few people who are always together, while close-knit describes a whole community.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: close-knit or close-nit? close-knit or tight-fisted?
close-knit vs close-nit
Nit is a tiny insect egg; the correct word is knit, from the idea of joining threads together.
close-knit vs tight-fisted
Tight-fisted means unwilling to spend money, which has nothing to do with close relationships.
Practice
Everyone in the small village knows each other and helps out, so it is a very ___ community.
Choose one answer.
Close-knit describes a group with strong bonds. Close-minded means unwilling to accept new ideas, and close-by and close-ended are not used for community bonds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “close-knit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.