prossimo

Prossimo is an Italian adjective meaning “next” or “nearest,” and it can also function as a noun in certain contexts. It is used to describe both temporal succession and spatial proximity, as in il prossimo treno (the next train) or la casa prossima (the nearby house). The feminine form is prossima, the masculine plural prossimi, and the feminine plural prossime, with agreement to the noun it modifies. In some cases, prossima settimana is also used, though la prossima settimana is equally common.

Etymology and cognates: prossimo derives from Latin proximus, meaning “nearest” or “closest.” It has familiar counterparts in other Romance languages, such as Spanish próximo, French prochain, and Portuguese próximo, all sharing the same root indicating nearness or succession.

Usage notes: Prossimo often emphasizes immediacy or proximity, whereas a more formal or neutral alternative for “next” in enumerations is successivo. The sense of proximity can extend beyond time and space to imply the person who is near in a social sense: il prossimo can mean “the neighbor” or “the person next to you.” In religious and ethical contexts, the phrase il prossimo appears in the expression amare il prossimo come te stesso, “love your neighbor as yourself,” highlighting the moral dimension of the concept in Italian usage.

See also: related terms such as vicino (near, nearby), adiacente (adjacent), and the religious application of the idea of treating the neighbor with compassion. In other Romance languages, the cognate forms illustrate the same broad sense of nearness and succession across multiple tongues.