afar

¹

[ uh-fahr ]

adverb

1. from, at, or to a distance; far away (usually followed by off ):

   He saw the castle afar off.

Afar

²

[ ah-fahr ]

noun

, plural A·fars, A·fa·ra [uh, -, fahr, -, uh], (especially collectively) A·far

1. a member of a nomadic Muslim people living in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Ethiopia.
2. the Northern Cushitic language spoken by the Afars.

afar

/ əˈfɑː /

adverb

1. at, from, or to a great distance

noun

1. a great distance (esp in the phrase from afar )

Word History and Origins

Origin of afar¹

1125–75; Middle English a fer, on ferr; replacing Old English feorran. See a- ¹ (perhaps also a- ² for the meaning “from”), far

Word History and Origins

Origin of afar¹

C14: a fer, altered from earlier on fer and of fer; see a- ², far

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. from afar, from a long way off:

   The princess saw him riding toward her from afar.

Example Sentences

Weir, who has spent the last year watching the team from afar, said they are "determined and ready" to defeat Finland.

From BBC

She calls out disjointed knees that were a consequence of her growing fetus, and skin discoloration on her upper lip resembling a mustache from afar.

From Los Angeles Times

De León talked to reporters as supporters chanted his name from afar.

From Los Angeles Times

Those attributes are among the many Edman qualities the Dodgers were enamored with from afar and are now counting on to help push the team through October.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the 2,700 attendees stopped to watch the knockout rounds, putting down blankets on the sand or grass to look on from afar.

From Los Angeles Times