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

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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

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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

Greece's conservative government on Wednesday sought to distance itself from the shock ouster of US ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, with a senior official insisting relations with Washington are unaffected.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Many companies have yet to close that distance between executive vision and everyday practice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

We were travelling with Yemen's pro-government forces, catching glimpses of the Arabian Sea, and forbidding mountain peaks in the distance.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

When the distance between them was reduced from 20 mm to 4 mm, the production rate increased by approximately 2.2 times.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Wolf was waiting for them: sitting beneath a birch tree a safe distance from the Widewater, shaking with fear.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

At the same time, people in rural states tend to consume more gasoline because they drive bigger vehicles over longer distances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Using Starlink, Ukrainian drones are able to maintain stronger connections with operators over longer distances than conventional radio networks and are less vulnerable to jamming.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The bank said shorter shipping distances to European markets favor Brent, while crude from Brazil, West Africa and the U.S. has become less competitive because of higher freight costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

This effectively alters the cosmic ruler used to measure distances and, in turn, the value of the Hubble constant inferred from the model, helping to ease the Hubble tension.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

My speed and ability to judge distances made me an excellent fielder.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

The company distanced itself from Carlson and called his characterizations unscientific.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

With Cerimedo’s name now toxic, Paz, Milei and other former allies have distanced themselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

While El-Sayed never said those words and has since distanced himself from Piker, Vance repeatedly linked the two together during his speech.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The PGA Tour also distanced itself from Good Good Golf, announcing the company would no longer serve as title sponsor of an upcoming tournament.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Galileo began to observe Venus in June 1610, as soon as it distanced itself enough from the sun to be visible.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

At the time of Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, the King said the "law must take its course", and the Palace is now distancing itself from the former Duke of York's legal pushback.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

“To the degree that Republican candidates are distancing themselves, they’re understanding that they’re actually appealing to newer electorates,” Peterson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Pet ownership spiked during the pandemic as social distancing and a loneliness that a Zoom call just couldn’t fix prompted people to get a pet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Much like COVID-era social distancing rules, this will lower the risk of H5N1 transmission by keeping birds separate.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

Each time he had given those unsettling warnings, he had been airing out his own trauma, distancing himself from it by reducing it to a cautionary tale.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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