whole neighborhood; surrounding area; neighboring countries
Refers to the entire surrounding area or all neighboring countries. Often used in a literary or formal context.
We value friendly relations with all neighboring countries.
The incident became known throughout the whole neighborhood.
Composed of 四 (four, all directions) and 隣 (neighbor, adjacent). The combination suggests 'neighbors in all four directions', i.e., the entire surrounding area. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.