dis´tant|ness

dis|tant «DIHS tuhnt», adjective.

1. far away in space: »

The sun is distant from the earth.

2. away: »

The town is three miles distant.

3. Figurative. far apart in time, relationship, or likeness; not close: »

A third cousin is a distant relative. We may take a trip to Europe in the distant future.

4. Figurative. not friendly: »

She gave him only a distant nod.

SYNONYM(S): aloof, reserved.

5. at a distance; from a distance; not near: »

a distant vision, a distant journey. The old man had only a distant memory of the school he attended as a boy.

6. Obsolete. different; diverse.

╂[< Middle French distant, learned borrowing from Latin distāns, -antis, present participle of distāre stand apart < dis- apart + stāre to stand]

–dis´tant|ly, adverb.

–dis´tant|ness, noun.

Synonym Study 1, 2 Distant, far, remote means not near. Distant suggests a considerable space unless the exact measure is stated: »

He lives in a distant city. The city is 10 miles distant from Chicago.

Far suggests a long but somewhat indefinite distance away; remote suggests a long distance from the center of things: »

Vietnam is a far country; to Americans it used to be remote.