distal

American  

[dis-tl] / ˈdɪs tl /

adjective

1. situated away from the point of origin or attachment, as of a limb or bone; terminal.

2. Dentistry. directed away from the sagittal plane or midline of the face, along the dental arch.

---

distal British  

/ ˈdɪstəl /

adjective

1. anatomy (of a muscle, bone, limb, etc) situated farthest from the centre, median line, or point of attachment or origin Compare proximal

---

Other Word Forms

• distally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of distal

First recorded in 1800–10; dist(ant) + -al ¹

Compare meaning

How does distal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mesial vs. distal

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distal

For example, at a stage when immature cells start developing retinal cell characteristics, chromatin contact points shift from a mostly proximal-enriched state to add more distal interactions.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023

But after missing a combined 14 games across 2021 and 2022 due to a partial tear of his distal bicep tendon and a torn ACL, Ulofoshio appears to be all the way back.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023

Mare Kimberley Dream was euthanized after sustaining a distal sesamodean ligament rupture to her front leg during Saturday’s first race.

From Washington Times ● May 28, 2023

I learned how to name a skeleton part by part, from parietal to distal phalanx.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2022

“And here you can see evidence of thickening of the distal small intestine,” says Professor Willard McGovern, his voice devoid of inflection.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen