farther
Americanadverb
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at or to a greater distance.
He went farther down the road.
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at or to a more advanced point.
They are going no farther in their studies.
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at or to a greater degree or extent.
The application of the law was extended farther.
adjective
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more distant or remote than something or some place nearer.
the farther side of the mountain.
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extending or tending to a greater distance.
He made a still farther trip.
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Nonstandard. further.
adverb
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to or at a greater distance in space or time
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in addition
adjective
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more distant or remote in space or time
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additional
Usage
What’s the difference between farther and further? Farther most commonly means at or to a greater distance, especially a literal distance, as in a few steps farther or two miles farther or We’re moving even farther away. Further can mean the same thing as farther but commonly means to a greater figurative distance, as in Nothing could be further from the truth, or to a greater extent, as in Let’s discuss this further. The traditional distinction is that farther is used for literal distances and that further should be used for figurative distances or metaphorical extents, though in everyday communication, they are often used interchangeably, with further often being used for literal distances and farther being used to mean at a more advanced point or to a great extent.However, further is used in a few ways that farther is not. Further can be used as a verb meaning to advance something, such as an agenda or cause, as in This will help to further our cause. As an adjective, further can mean more extended, as in further delays, or additional, as in We will hold further meetings. It can also be used in the beginning of a sentence or clause to mean the same thing as furthermore, in addition, or moreover, as in I don’t like ice cream. Further, I don’t like pistachios. So why would you buy me pistachio ice cream? You can remember that farther is typically used for literal distance by remembering that it’s the comparative form of the adjective far, with the superlative form being farthest.Here’s an example of farther and further used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I have to drive farther than usual for work today—I’ll explain further when I get home.Want to learn more? Go the distance by reading the full breakdown of the difference between farther and further.
Commonly Confused
Although some usage guides insist that only farther should be used for physical distance ( We walked farther than we planned ), farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories. However, only further is used in the adverbial sense “moreover” ( Further, you hurt my feelings ) and in the adjectival senses “more extended” ( no further comment ) and “additional” ( Further bulletins came in ). The expression all the farther (or further ) in place of as far as occurs chiefly in informal speech: This is all the farther the train goes. See also all.
Etymology
Origin of farther
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferther; originally variant of further
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.
Observations from the University of California-operated Keck II Telescope in Hawaii uncovered cooler gas extending much farther from the galaxy, reaching distances of up to 15 kiloparsecs from the black hole.
From Science Daily
Europa's orbit, by contrast, is more stable and farther from Jupiter.
From Science Daily
In the decades that my mom has lived in the town, this was closer than most previous fires in the area, which typically started farther north and deeper in the mountains.
From Los Angeles Times
Their analysis suggested the earthquake rupture extended farther south than previously thought and stretched about 400 kilometers -- significantly longer than the 300 kilometers estimated by other models.
From Science Daily
As atmospheric warming continues, cracks are forming farther uphill, affecting increasingly larger sections of the glacier.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
