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)
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
Phrases
by far
: far and away
is by far the best runner
far be it from
: it would be inappropriate or impossible for
far be it from me to complain
far from
: of a distinctly different and especially opposite quality than
the trip was far from a failure
how far
: to what extent, degree, or distance
didn't know how far to trust them
so far
1
: to a certain extent, degree, or distance
when the water rose so far, we fled
2
: up to the present
has written one novel so far
thus far
: so far
thus far the results are negative

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The place was not far from Thompson’s Harbor, a small bay on Lake Huron a few miles up the shore from Presque Isle Lighthouse. Outdoor Life, 23 Nov. 2023 Half the Clippers’ victories so far have come against the Spurs. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023 State and federal grants have been obtained for the planning completed so far and are expected to cover construction costs. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023 The singer's curtain bangs create a beautiful curve at cheekbone level, which further emphasizes them. Melanie Paukner, Glamour, 23 Nov. 2023 But what begins as a joke turns into a hit — the biggest of his career — and soon Monk must grapple further with his identity and place in the publishing world. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Nov. 2023 Adjusted operating margins hit a record high of 64% in the fiscal third quarter ended October, far above the company’s average of 38% for the same quarter over the past five years. Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 22 Nov. 2023 So far, 3,828 have been able to leave Gaza, not including those slated to exit today. NBC News, 11 Nov. 2023 And while the seminal 1992 McLaren F1 road car is widely regarded as his capstone, the 77-year-old creative is far from done: His latest, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s Niki Lauda, recently made its U.S. debut at Monterey Car Week. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 11 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Dolce Zel took the lead coming out of the far turn and finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Yerwanthere, who had Umberto Rispoli aboard. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023 The 16-1 longshot broke alertly and settled in second place behind General Partner until midway on the far turn. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023 Over the past decade, China has overseen a crackdown on Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, a province in the far west of the country, setting up mass detention centers and forcing detainees to work in cotton plantations, tomato farms, and polysilicate mines. Ian Urbina, TIME, 26 Oct. 2023 As the landscape becomes more fire-prone, wildfires burning in the far north will emit still more carbon into the atmosphere, further accelerating climate change. WIRED, 18 Oct. 2023 For those with the proper footwear (ice cleats or similar), there's a 1.3-mile loop from the far end of the beach called Great Head Trail. Erinne Magee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023 But the far antler is wrapped in another piece of rope, so the job is only half done. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 4 Oct. 2023 Europe is struggling with the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and growing support for far right parties, none of which bodes well for following through on a commitment to the global South. Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2023 The bench seats resemble church pews; a Shaker-style monolith of a fireplace broods against the far wall like a disgruntled patriarch. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'far.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near far

Cite this Entry

“Far.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/far. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on far

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!