afar
adverb
from, at, or to a distance; far away (usually followed byoff ).
afar
1 American
[uh-fahr]
/ əˈfɑr /
adverb
idioms
Afar
2
American
[ah-fahr]
/ ˈɑ fɑr /
noun
-
Afars,
plural
-
Afara,
plural
-
Afar
plural
-
a member of a nomadic Muslim people living in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Ethiopia.
-
the Northern Cushitic language spoken by the Afars.
afar
British
/ əˈfɑː /
adverb
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The U.K. government says its bases are safe and it is currently in the process of changing the law so that military personnel guarding bases can track, jam and shoot down drones from afar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
This was very frustrating to observe from afar.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
And every year billions of gallons of water have to be bought, and brought to L.A. from afar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
By linking observations from afar with laboratory chemistry and future spacecraft measurements, the research provides a new path toward solving one of Venus's longest-standing mysteries.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
At the mosque, it was always a salaam wave from afar.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Its offensive in Afar is aimed at cutting supplies from Djibouti, which provides almost all of Ethiopia's international trade cargo, including fuel.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
“They have been targeting government positions in the Afar region from three directions,” an Ethiopian official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Umer, the cattle herder in Afar, said he was worried that an outbreak of disease could start killing his adult camels anytime now.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Ethiopia's Afar region remains an active rifting zone, shaped by tectonic forces and volcanic eruptions.
From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026
Afar, without means of communication with you, I was compelled to lock my grief within my own afflicted heart, and to carry it, with the thought of you, which never left me, to my God.
From Lest We Forget World War Stories by Inez Bigwood
Afara Lalaind, who filed her civil complaint Thursday at Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A., also alleges her reputation “has been ruined” and her chance for advancement is gone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2024
Signing up are the proud, aggressive Angelus Lipahi and the earnest, hardworking Ezekiel Afara, both inspired by glossy magazine images of surfing superstars.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2012
Over the past few months, hostilities have raged between the Afars and Tigreans, the Gurages and Wolaytas, the Anuaks and Nuers, and the Oromos and Tigreans.
From Time Magazine Archive
Meanwhile the French Territory of Afars and Issas, with its key port of Djibouti, which provides an Ethiopian rail link to the sea, gains independence from Paris next month.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the case of the Afars, for instance, he has asked the elders to designate which tribesmen should be armed.
From Time Magazine Archive
Mengistu also faces the possibility of war with Somalia for control of the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, whose 215,000 citizens last week voted for independence.*
From Time Magazine Archive
Background: The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977.
From The 2002 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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