distance

American  

[dis-tuhns] / ˈdɪs təns /

noun

distances plural

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

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

3. a linear extent of space.

   Seven miles is a distance too great to walk in an hour.

4. an expanse; area.

   A vast distance of water surrounded the ship.

5. the interval between two points of time; an extent of time.

   His vacation period was a good distance away.

6. remoteness or difference in any respect.

   Our philosophies are a long distance apart.

7. an amount of progress.

   We've come a long distance on the project.

8. a distant point, place, or region.

9. the distant part of a field of view.

   a tree in the distance.

10. absence of warmth; reserve.

    Their first meeting in several years was hampered by a certain distance between them.

    Synonyms:

    aloofness, coolness, restraint, remoteness

11. Music. interval.

12. aesthetic distance.

13. 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.

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

15. Obsolete. disagreement or dissension; a quarrel.

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verb (used with object)

distances, present (3rd person singular) distanced, past participle, past distancing present participle

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

2. to place at a distance.

3. to cause to appear distant.

idioms

1. go the distance,

   1. (in horse racing) to be able to run well in a long race.

   2. Informal. to finish or complete something, especially something difficult, challenging, or requiring sustained effort.

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

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

distance British  

/ ˈdɪstəns /

noun

1. the intervening space between two points or things

2. the length of this gap

3. the state of being apart in space; remoteness

4. an interval between two points in time

5. the extent of progress; advance

6. a distant place or time

   he lives at a distance from his work

7. a separation or remoteness in relationship; disparity

8. geometry

   1. the length of the shortest line segment joining two points

   2. the length along a straight line or curve

9. the most distant or a faraway part of the visible scene or landscape

10. horse racing

    1. a point on a racecourse 240 yards from the winning post

    2. any interval of more than 20 lengths between any two finishers in a race

    3. 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

11. 1. boxing to complete a bout without being knocked out

    2. to be able to complete an assigned task or responsibility

12. to maintain a proper or discreet reserve in respect of another person

13. the distant parts of a picture, such as a landscape

14. 1. (in a picture) halfway between the foreground and the horizon

    2. (in a natural situation) halfway between the observer and the horizon

15. (modifier) athletics relating to or denoting the longer races, usually those longer than a mile

    a distance runner

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verb

1. to hold or place at a distance

2. to separate (oneself) mentally or emotionally from something

3. to outdo; outstrip

distance More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• distanceless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• distances
  plural

Participles

• distancing
  present
• distanced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• distance
  simple
• distances
  simple
• have distanced
  perfect
• has distanced
  perfect
• am distancing
  progressive
• are distancing
  progressive
• is distancing
  progressive
• have been distancing
  perfect progressive
• has been distancing
  perfect progressive

Past

• distanced
  simple
• had distanced
  perfect
• was distancing
  progressive
• were distancing
  progressive
• had been distancing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will distance
  simple
• will have distanced
  perfect
• will be distancing
  progressive
• will have been distancing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of distance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin distantia, from distant- (stem of distāns “standing apart”; see distant) + -ia -y ³; replacing Middle English destaunce, from Anglo-French

Explanation

Distance is an amount of space between things. From a distance, it's hard to tell if someone's wearing a vampire costume or just a chic black outfit. The noun distance usually refers to physical space in between two objects, like the distance between your parking spot and the entrance to the mall. It can also mean an interval in time, like a distance of two years since you graduated. Another meaning of distance is remoteness, like the distance between you and a close friend who doesn't talk to you much these days. The Latin root is distantia, "a standing apart."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distance distances distanced distancing

The mile has been the most iconic distance in sports since long before a British medical student named Roger Bannister completed it in less than four minutes in 1954.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The major broadcast networks made swift editorial decisions to distance themselves from the spectacle.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

The race on 1 August - which will replace the 1500m - will see a stellar line-up go head-to-head over the distance made famous by Sir Roger Bannister.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Our nations of origin may be separated by distance, language and even culture, but on this night, Los Angeles was a city where we all came together as one.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

She was deadweight, and the sooner I could distance myself from her, the better.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Smaller stadiums pose further difficulties given lower quality facilities on offer, larger distances to travel and more complex journeys to navigate.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Trainspotters have been studying Big Boy 4014’s schedule and traveling long distances to catch sight of the iron giant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

When qubits become entangled, their properties remain connected, even when the qubits are separated by large distances.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

Cars are the main mode of transport in most regions of the world's largest country, where distances to cover are huge.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

But in the fifteenth century, small distances are monumental.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Shah distanced himself from the ads attacking Jackson and called for them to be taken off the air.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

Cepeda lost Sunday's runoff by less than one percentage point and has distanced himself from violence that has emerged in post-election protests.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Nine - one of Australia's two major commercial broadcasters - would not confirm his departure to the BBC, but on Wednesday distanced itself from its star's recent work.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

I went during the height of the pandemic, when my boatmates were masked and socially distanced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Moderate black leaders quickly distanced themselves from him, saying it was crucial the focus remain solely on civil rights.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Nearby, work by Kim’s students from the 1950s demonstrates later distancing from Japanese models through more expressive brushwork.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Amy Xiang, who Sauntered last year, was a college freshman in 2020 and spent much of her undergraduate career socially distancing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Another passenger said the cruise staff had asked those on board to maintain social distancing, wear masks inside and sanitise hands frequently.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

“Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” somehow distancing itself from this history, has become one of the hottest tickets of the Broadway season.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

It let her feel like she was distancing herself from her mother, who Terryl always felt put on airs that everything was okay.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• area
• gap
• length
• orbit
• radius
• scope
• separation
• size
• space
• span
• stretch
• width