law of proximity
- noun
- Specialized
:
ley de la proximidad
- Children often organize objects based on the law of proximity, arranging items that are close together as a single collection.
Examples
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The law of proximity explains why we group nearby objects together.
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The designer grouped buttons together on the screen, using the law of proximity to guide the user’s eye.
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According to the law of proximity, people tend to see the three clusters of dots as separate groups.
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According to the law of proximity, we see patterns in clusters.
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The law of proximity explains why we group nearby items together, such as seeing a cluster of trees as a single forest.
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In design, the law of proximity helps create effective layouts by placing related elements close to each other.
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According to the law of proximity, people tend to see nearby objects as related, like a group of chairs arranged around a table.
Synonyms
5
4.4
We see things that are near each other as a group
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'principle that nearby objects are perceived as a unit' is directly derivable from combining 'law' (a general principle) with 'proximity' (nearness). The predictable 'law of X' construction is common in scientific and everyday language across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the phrase.
Etymology
Law of proximity comes from a simple picture: imagine many dots on a page, and the dots that are close together look like one group. That's why the phrase means things that are near each other are seen as 'belonging together'.