adjective

neat

NEET/niːt/

Clean and arranged in an orderly way.

The linen cupboard is neat, with folded towels and sheets in aligned stacks.

A clean, orderly open linen cupboard with evenly folded towels in aligned stacks, paired pillowcases, and neatly folded sheets, all separated by clear empty space.

Etymology

Latin nitidus described something gleaming and hence elegant or trim. English neat first emphasized cleanliness, then extended that idea to a tidy appearance and good order.

In context

Gentleman's Gazette18:54

same length as the hair on the sides of your head. This will ensure that they don't become bolder than your overall hairstyle and that you can keep up a neat and tidy appearance

Why Did Men Stop Wearing Sideburns?

More examples

Please leave the kitchen neat when you finish.
The towels sit in neat stacks on the shelf.
Your room looks neater with the clothes put away.

Forms

neat · neater · neatest

neatly adverb — In a clean and orderly way.

neatness noun — The quality of being clean and orderly.

Similar words

tidy: Emphasizes putting things away and keeping clutter under control.
orderly: Emphasizes systematic arrangement rather than freedom from dirt.
clean: Emphasizes freedom from dirt, not necessarily orderly arrangement.