Proxemics is a noun that refers to the study of the space people need to put between each other in order to function.

The Latin word Proximus (PROX ee moose) means ‘nearest.’ This has given birth to words like ‘approximate’ and ‘proximity.’ Our word of the day is related to these words, but it refers to a more formal study.

An example of its use is: I didn’t understand all the crowding that existed in many of those large Asian cities until I studied the proxemics of the situation. Once I grasped the reasons for all that crowding, it made perfect sense.