Table of Contents
Definition of Proxemics
(noun) The study of physical space as part of non-verbal communication in different situations.
Example of Proxemics
- Researching the physical distance between two individuals during a conversation.
Proxemics Pronunciation
Syllabification: prox·e·mics
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /prahk-sEE-miks/
- British English – /prok-sEE-miks/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /prɑkˈsimɪks/
- British English – /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
Usage Note
- Edward Hall (1914–2009) developed the concept of proxemics and tacit culture. Hall studied the distances between people during conversations and categorized four distinct distances: intimate, personal, social, and public.
Additional Information
- Word origin of “proxemics” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Hall, Edward T. 1959. The Silent Language. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
- Hall, Edward T. 1976. Beyond Culture. New York: Doubleday.
- Weisler, Steven, and Slavoljub P. Milekic. 1999. Theory of Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Edward T. Hall – Official Website: edwardthall.com
Related Terms
Cite the Definition of Proxemics
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “proxemics.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved February 9, 2025 (https://sociologydictionary.org/proxemics/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
proxemics. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/proxemics/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “proxemics.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://sociologydictionary.org/proxemics/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“proxemics.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://sociologydictionary.org/proxemics/>.