further

American  

[fur-ther] / ˈfɜr ðər /

adverb

1. at or to a greater distance; farther.

   I'm too tired to go further.

2. at or to a more advanced point; to a greater extent.

   Let's not discuss it further.

3. in addition; moreover.

   Further, he should be here any minute.

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adjective

1. more distant or remote; farther.

   The map shows it to be further than I thought.

2. more extended.

   Does this mean a further delay?

3. additional; more.

   Further meetings seem pointless.

verb (used with object)

• furthers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• furthered,
  past participle,  past
• furthering
  present participle

1. to help forward (a work, undertaking, cause, etc.); promote; advance; forward.

   You can always count on him to further his own interests.

further British  

/ ˈfɜːðə /

adverb

1. in addition; furthermore

2. to a greater degree or extent

3. to or at a more advanced point

4. to or at a greater distance in time or space; farther

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adjective

1. additional; more

2. more distant or remote in time or space; farther

verb

1. (tr) to assist the progress of; promote

further Idioms  

1. see without further ado.

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Usage

What’s the difference between further and farther? Further 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. It can also mean at or to a greater literal distance. This is what farther most commonly means, as in a few steps farther or two miles farther or We’re moving even farther away. 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 being often 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 further and farther 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 further and farther.

Commonly Confused

See farther.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• furtherer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• furthering
  present
• furthered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• further
  simple
• furthers
  simple
• have furthered
  perfect
• has furthered
  perfect
• am furthering
  progressive
• are furthering
  progressive
• is furthering
  progressive
• have been furthering
  perfect progressive
• has been furthering
  perfect progressive

Past

• furthered
  simple
• had furthered
  perfect
• was furthering
  progressive
• were furthering
  progressive
• had been furthering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will further
  simple
• will have furthered
  perfect
• will be furthering
  progressive
• will have been furthering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of further

First recorded before 900; Middle English furthere, Old English furthra; cognate with German vordere “more advanced”

Explanation

If you ask your parents for money, they might say they need to think about it further and then ask you lots of questions. Further refers to figurative distance, like a thought you need more time on. Further often gets confused with farther, but it's better to use further to mean an abstract distance, when two things are moving apart in terms of ideals, agreement, or thoughts, and farther when you're talking about physical distance. There's also a verb form of further that means "to promote the growth or progress of," which you might use in a sentence like, "These new gigs should help her further her career as a rock musician."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

further furthers furthered furthering

For now, they see further decline as likely in 4Q as dollar strength meets a hawkish turn in Fed policy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“Mr. Peters denies the claims and disputes the characterization of events. He will respond through the appropriate legal channels and intends to vigorously defend himself. We will not comment further at this time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Detectives have obtained warrants of further detention for both men, meaning they can remain in police custody until 27 September.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

With Meta’s developer conference, Meta Connect, taking place this Wednesday and Thursday, Anmuth expects further updates on the company’s AI progress and how Muse can integrate with partners and Meta hardware.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

The judges found “quiet, gracious young women,” the spirits provided sound demonstrations, and the charges were dropped without further investigation.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

That it’s taken this long to reach what could be a watershed moment speaks volumes about how every passing day furthers humanity’s desensitization.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

With the spacious GV80, Hyundai Motor Group furthers its ambition to rule the premium SUV market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

But Dan Wasiolek, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, told MarketWatch that the deal furthers his belief that prediction-market competition is overstated.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

As MMA solidifies, “it produces heat, and then in producing that heat, it furthers the chain reaction, so it keeps going and going and going,” Bernal said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

"John is an adventurer that believes in nothing, has no cause and furthers this warfare for loot and the possible chance of escape when the conflict comes."

From The City of Delight A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem by Frank X. Leyendecker

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara furthered the plan’s growth when he required it to raise the policy limit on homes to $3 million and to insure condominium developments valued at $100 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

SpaceX’s stock furthered its decline on Tuesday, extending its recent streak of losses to record a new intraday low.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

An 11-count indictment alleges the nonprofit committed financial crimes by telling donors their money was being put toward dismantling hate groups when instead it sometimes furthered their interests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

One of those Ins for 2024 was finding a creative hobby that furthered my artistic pursuits outside my preferred and beloved relationship with writing.

From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2025

And since it doesn’t come naturally to many elementary students, it must be furthered by doing numerous problems, some practical, some more fanciful.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Alibaba American depositary receipts rose after the Chinese online bazaar launched a new, high-powered chip, furthering its AI ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also told to keep their window blinds down -- a step normally reserved for war zones -- furthering suspicions of security concerns.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

And though the suit doesn’t name the classmate, her name has now leaked via court documents, furthering an already pronounced imbalance of power.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

And a new deal with Advanced Micro Devices is furthering that notable rally.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

Despite her personal misgivings, Penelope thanked both of the young servants profusely for their willingness to spend their time furthering the children’s education.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• encourage
• expedite
• facilitate
• hasten
• help
• promote
• speed