Meaning & use
nearby college
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
a college that is close to where you are or where you live
Grammar: 'Nearby' goes before the noun: a nearby college. You can also say 'a college nearby' with the same meaning.
Patterns
- a nearby college
- go to a nearby college
- study at a nearby college
She decided to apply to a nearby college so she could live at home.
There is a nearby college that offers evening classes in computing.
The nearby college shares its library with the local community.
phrasecountable
the nearest college in a particular area, seen as a local option
Grammar: Often used with 'the' when both speaker and listener know which college is meant: the nearby college.
Patterns
- the nearby college
- choose the nearby college
The nearby college was full, so he applied to one in the next town.
Parents often prefer the nearby college because it is easy to reach.
Word forms
| plural | nearby colleges |
|---|
Common combinations
- a nearby college
- A nearby college runs a summer program for high school students.
- go to a nearby college
- Many students go to a nearby college to save money.
- the nearby college
- The nearby college has a new sports center.
- apply to a nearby college
- He applied to a nearby college and was accepted.
- nearby college campus
- The nearby college campus is quiet in July.
Synonyms and how they differ
- local college
- 'Local college' emphasizes that it serves the area, while 'nearby college' simply says it is close in distance.
- neighboring college
- 'Neighboring college' suggests it is next to or very close to another place, often used when comparing institutions.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: nearby college or near by? nearby college or nearby university?
nearby college vs near by
'Near by' as two words is not standard; write 'nearby' as one word when it means 'close'.
nearby college vs nearby university
A 'college' is often smaller or more specialized than a 'university', though the words overlap in some countries.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'nearby college' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Nearby' comes before the noun it describes: a nearby college. 'A college nearby downtown' is awkward because 'nearby' already means 'near here'; 'near by' as two words is not standard; and 'a nearby of college' is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nearby college”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.