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• afar
  afar

  adverb

  from, at, or to a distance; far away (usually followed byoff ).
• Afar
  Afar

  noun

  a member of a nomadic Muslim people living in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Ethiopia.

afar

¹ American  

[uh-fahr] / əˈfɑr /

adverb

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

   He saw the castle afar off.

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idioms

1. from afar, from a long way off.

   The princess saw him riding toward her from afar.

Afar ² American  

[ah-fahr] / ˈɑ fɑr /

noun

Afars, plural Afara, plural Afar plural

1. a member of a nomadic Muslim people living in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Ethiopia.

2. the Northern Cushitic language spoken by the Afars.

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afar British  

/ əˈfɑː /

adverb

1. at, from, or to a great distance

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Afar
  plural
• Afara
  plural
• Afars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of afar

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

Explanation

If something's off at a distance, you can describe it as being afar. You might write a letter to your pen pal in Japan, and say, "This note comes to you from afar." Afar is a poetic and old-fashioned way to say "far away" or "distant." If your summer visitors have traveled from afar, they've come a long way to see you, and if your boyfriend moves to Australia, you might have to continue your relationship from afar. The word is a shortened form of the Old English of feor, in which of means "of" or "on," and feor is "far, remote, or distant."

Example Sentences

“But you already know you can’t pet us! The fact that we are hanging out in the park doesn’t mean we are pets. Admire us from afar and leave us in peace, OK?”

From Slate • May 27, 2026

From afar, Chile's Tiltil landfill almost resembles just another mountain, but the growing rubbish pile has created a daily nightmare of odors, flies and health concerns for residents nearby.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," his family said on Tuesday.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Spitballing from afar, the Un Certain Regard title that’s seized my attention is Zachary Wigon’s “Victorian Psycho,” a gothic horror film starring Maika Monroe and Thomasin McKenzie.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

I felt very distant, as though I was watching myself do it from afar.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros