Distant

Distant is an English adjective that describes something far away in space or in time, or perceived as separated from the present situation. It can refer to physical separation, such as a distant mountain range, or to temporal distance, such as distant memories or a distant future. The term also covers non-physical forms of separation, including emotional or social distance, and even abstract possibilities or probabilities that lie far from current reality.

Etymology traces distant to Latin distant-, distans, from distare “to stand apart,” with its path into English through Old French. The word has been in use in English since the Middle English period and has retained a flexible sense of remoteness across contexts.

In use, distant often carries nuance beyond simply “far.” It can imply perceptual or readable distance, as in something barely visible, or suggestively aloof, as in a distant manner or distant smile. In scientific and geographical writing, distant is common when describing objects or locations that lie far from the observer, such as distant galaxies or distant shores. In everyday speech, it contrasts with near, close, or nearby, and with synonyms like remote or faraway, each bearing subtle connotations about accessibility, visibility, or immediacy.

Related terms include distance, distantness, and distantly used as an adverb. The word appears in literature and discourse to convey scale, perspective, or separation, ranging from concrete spatial distance to abstract temporal or emotional distance.