cercanos

Cercanos is a Spanish word that functions as both an adjective and, in informal contexts, a noun referring to people who are close to someone. As the plural form of cercano, it denotes proximity in space, time, or relationships. When used to describe things, it indicates nearness or recency, as in lugares cercanos (nearby places) or eventos cercanos (recent events). When used to refer to people, phrases like mis cercanos or los cercanos indicate close relatives, friends, or a trusted circle. The forms agree in gender and number: cercano, cercana, cercanos, cercanas.

In everyday use, cercano often emphasizes emotional or relational closeness as well as physical proximity. It contrasts with lejano or distante to express relative nearness. The adjective can modify a wide range of nouns, including locations, times, feelings, and social ties, as in casa cercana (nearby home) or relación cercana (close relationship).

Etymology and related terms: cercano derives from the same root that yields cercanía (proximity or closeness) in Spanish. The term has cognates in other Romance languages and forms part of a broader lexical field concerned with distance and proximity. The plural cercanos is used when the head noun is masculine or mixed gender; feminine form is cercanas.

See also: cercanía, cercano. Note that "cercanos" is primarily a descriptive term and does not typically stand alone as a proper noun; its meaning is derived from the notion of closeness or nearness in context.