distance

[ dis-tuhns ]

/ ˈdɪs təns /

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See synonyms for: distance / distanced / distancing on Thesaurus.com

noun

the extent or amount of space between two things, points, lines, etc.

the state or fact of being apart in space, as of one thing from another; remoteness.

a linear extent of space: Seven miles is a distance too great to walk in an hour.

an expanse; area: A vast distance of water surrounded the ship.

the interval between two points of time; an extent of time: His vacation period was a good distance away.

remoteness or difference in any respect: Our philosophies are a long distance apart.

an amount of progress: We've come a long distance on the project.

a distant point, place, or region.

the distant part of a field of view: a tree in the distance.

absence of warmth; reserve: Their first meeting in several years was hampered by a certain distance between them.

Music. interval (def. 6).

aesthetic distance.

Horse Racing. (in a heat race) the space measured back from the winning post that a horse must reach by the time the winner passes the winning post or be eliminated from subsequent heats.

Mathematics. the greatest lower bound of differences between points, one from each of two given sets.

Obsolete. disagreement or dissension; a quarrel.

verb (used with object), dis·tanced, dis·tanc·ing.

to leave behind at a distance, as at a race; surpass.

to place at a distance.

to cause to appear distant.

OTHER WORDS FOR distance

10 remoteness, restraint, coolness, aloofness.

See synonyms for distance on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about distance

go the distance,

(in horse racing) to be able to run well in a long race.
Informal. to finish or complete something, especially something difficult, challenging, or requiring sustained effort.

keep at a distance, to treat coldly or in an unfriendly manner.

keep one's distance, to avoid becoming familiar or involved; remain cool or aloof.

Origin of distance

1250–1300; Middle English <Latin distantia, equivalent to distant- (see distant) + -ia-y³; replacing Middle English destaunce<Anglo-French

OTHER WORDS FROM distance

dis·tance·less, adjective

Words nearby distance

distaff, distaffer, distaff side, distain, distal, distance, distance learning, distance medley, distance modulus, distance race, distance runner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use distance in a sentence

Clark said masks were optional, as long as six feet of distance was kept, and temperatures were checked.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out|Ashly McGlone|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Fortunately, sound waves can travel great distances through the ocean, thanks to a curious phenomenon known as the SOFAR Channel, short for Sound Fixing and Ranging.
Underwater earthquakes’ sound waves reveal changes in ocean warming|Carolyn Gramling|September 17, 2020|Science News
They connected the two electron charges with one “effective” charge that varied with distance.
How Mathematical ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Saved Particle Physics|Charlie Wood|September 17, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Richard Barrera, a San Diego Unified trustee, suggested during a town hall that it was actually a silver lining of distance learning that students at Lincoln and elsewhere would have increased access to AP classes.
Morning Report: Lincoln Abruptly Canceled AP Class|Voice of San Diego|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego

It was here that my girlfriend and I decided we’d go for our first drink after quarantine — mostly because of it being within walking distance and a few Yelp reviews suggesting unusually cheap drinks.
The Last Bar Standing?|Eugene Robinson|September 15, 2020|Ozy
Their leader, Njie, still going by “Dave” during the operation, would stay a safe distance away until the State House was secure.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The level of outside support… has not been sufficient enough for them to distance themselves from al Nusra,” Cafarella said.
ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says|Kimberly Dozier|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The younger brother would try everything in his power from a distance to subdue the roaring flames of passion.
Decoding Vincent Van Gogh’s Tempestuous, Fragile Mind|Nick Mafi|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How much distance was there between the two men when Brown was shot?
Ferguson’s Grand Jury Bought Darren Wilson’s Story|Paul Campos|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was in a long-distance relationship at the time with my high-school boyfriend.
How I Stopped My Rapist|Natasha Alexenko|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Off went the officers again, some distance to the front, and then back again to their men, and got them on a little further.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Distance, the uncertain light, and imagination, magnified it to a high wall; high as the wall of China.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
A lateen sail was visible in the direction of Cat Island, and others to the south seemed almost motionless in the far distance.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
And the others, not knowing that he had that day repented, sat at their distance and tried to form no conclusion.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
We see the whole land, even if but at a distance, instead of being limited merely to the spot where our foot treads.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for distance

distance

/ (ˈdɪstəns) /

noun

the intervening space between two points or things

the length of this gap

the state of being apart in space; remoteness

an interval between two points in time

the extent of progress; advance

a distant place or timehe lives at a distance from his work

a separation or remoteness in relationship; disparity

geometry

the length of the shortest line segment joining two points
the length along a straight line or curve

the distance the most distant or a faraway part of the visible scene or landscape

horse racing

British a point on a racecourse 240 yards from the winning post
British any interval of more than 20 lengths between any two finishers in a race
US the part of a racecourse that a horse must reach in any heat before the winner passes the finishing line in order to qualify for later heats

go the distance

boxing to complete a bout without being knocked out
to be able to complete an assigned task or responsibility

keep one's distance to maintain a proper or discreet reserve in respect of another person

the distant parts of a picture, such as a landscape

middle distance

(in a picture) halfway between the foreground and the horizon
(in a natural situation) halfway between the observer and the horizon

(modifier) athletics relating to or denoting the longer races, usually those longer than a milea distance runner

verb (tr)

to hold or place at a distance

to separate (oneself) mentally or emotionally from something

to outdo; outstrip

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with distance

distance

see go the distance; keep one's distance; spitting distance.

distance

OTHER WORDS FOR distance

Idioms about distance

Origin of distance

OTHER WORDS FROM distance

Words nearby distance

Words related to distance

How to use distance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for distance

Other Idioms and Phrases with distance