near at hand

English

Etymology

From Middle English neyr at hand, nere atte hande, equivalent to near +‎ at +‎ hand.

Phrase

near at hand

1. Close or nearby, in terms of distance.
   • 1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in Railway Magazine, page 165:

     Standing on the mountain above Caerphilly, one may reflect upon the gap where once stood Llanbradach Viaduct, and look near at hand upon the restored ruins of Caerphilly Castle; man labours to rebuild the mediaeval whilst he ruthlessly scraps the modern.

2. Close, in terms of time.

References

• “near at hand”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.