distant

[ dis-tuhnt ]

adjective

1. far off or apart in space; not near at hand; remote or removed (often followed by from ):

   a distant place; a town three miles distant from here.

2. apart or far off in time:

   distant centuries past.

3. remote or far apart in any respect:

   a distant relative.

4. reserved or aloof; not familiar or cordial:

   a distant greeting.

   Synonyms: withdrawn, cool

5. arriving from or going to a distance, as a communication, journey, etc.:

   I have here a distant letter from Japan.

distant

/ ˈdɪstənt /

adjective

1. far away or apart in space or time
2. postpositive separated in space or time by a specified distance
3. apart in relevance, association, or relationship

   a distant cousin

4. coming from or going to a faraway place

   a distant journey

5. remote in manner; aloof
6. abstracted; absent

   a distant look

Derived Forms

• ˈdistantly, adverb
• ˈdistantness, noun

Other Words From

• distant·ly adverb
• distant·ness noun
• over·distant adjective
• over·distant·ly adverb
• quasi-distant adjective
• quasi-distant·ly adverb
• ultra·distant adjective
• un·distant adjective
• un·distant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of distant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dista(u)nt, from Anglo-French, from Latin distant-, stem of distāns “standing apart,” present participle of distāre “to stand apart,” from di- di- ² + stāre “to stand”; stand

Word History and Origins

Origin of distant¹

C14: from Latin distāre to be distant, from dis- ¹+ stāre to stand

Example Sentences

Lead actor Garcia-Rulfo, a distant relative of the novel’s author, set out to find the human nature within the disagreeable character.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, due to the advent of more powerful instruments like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, detecting distant metal-poor galaxies has been made exponentially easier.

From Science Daily

Now, more than 1,000 days later, after Congress has approved $175 billion in aid, it’s likely to fade into distant memory.

From Los Angeles Times

If they’re blue or red, their voters are relegated to the cheap seats as distant spectators to the main event being fought in a few purple swing states.

From Los Angeles Times

These findings not only provide a window into the distant past but also illustrate how genetic traits beneficial for survival and well-being can vanish over time.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• far
• far-flung
• far-off
• inaccessible
• isolated
• obscure
• remote
• removed
• secluded