far

1 of 3

adverb

farther ˈfär-t͟hər How to pronounce far (audio) or further ˈfər-t͟hər How to pronounce far (audio) ; farthest or furthest ˈfər-t͟həst How to pronounce far (audio)
Synonyms of farnext
1
: at or to a considerable distance in space
wandered far from home
2
a
: to a great extent : much
far better methods
b
: by a broad interval : widely
the far distant future
3
: to or at a definite distance, point, or degree
as far as I know
4
: to an advanced point or extent
a bright student will go far
worked far into the night
5
: at a considerable distance in time
not far from the year 1870

far

2 of 3

adjective

farther or further; farthest or furthest
1
a
: remote in space
b
: distinctly different in quality or relationship
c
: remote in time
2
a
: long
a far journey
b
: of notable extent : comprehensive
a man of far vision
3
: the more distant of two
the far end
4
: extreme
the far left
a far right political organization

FAR

3 of 3

abbreviation

federal air regulation

Examples of far in a Sentence

Adverb The dog wandered far from home. These new discoveries will allow us to see far into the past. She lives far out in the country. The house is set far back from the road. The deadline is not far off. regions far to the north a town not far from Chicago He still lives not far from where he was born. The car is far too expensive. His policies are far different from those of his predecessor. Adjective the far corners of the world the far reaches of outer space
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
South of Miami, the Florida Keys are known for their laidback charm, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Orlando's theme parks. Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 9 June 2026 Cricket drifts far from the contemporary arts scene. Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Adjective
Sané scored off a short pass from Havertz, a diagonal shot between the legs of Miles Robinson that appeared to take a slight deflection off the defender and beat goalkeeper Matt Freese to the far post. CBS News, 6 June 2026 Leo will find a legislature that is highly polarized, with the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hammered by a series of corruption scandals and far-right groups such as Vox harshly criticizing the Socialists’ migration policy. ABC News, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for far

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English fer, from Old English feorr; akin to Old High German ferro far, Old English faran to go — more at fare

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of far was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Far.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/far. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

far

1 of 2 adverb
farther -t͟hər How to pronounce far (audio) or further ˈfər- How to pronounce far (audio) ; farthest or furthest -t͟həst How to pronounce far (audio)
1
: at or to a great distance in space or time
far from home
2
: to a great extent : much
far better
3
: to or at a definite distance, point, or degree
as far as I know
4
: to an advanced point or extent : a long way
a smart student can go far

far

2 of 2 adjective
farther or further; farthest or furthest
1
: very distant in space or time
2
: long entry 1 sense 3
a far journey
3
: the more distant of two
the far side of the lake

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