farther

adverb far·ther \ ˈfär-t͟hər \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Usage guide: farther vs. further

Examples: farther in a Sentence

Definition of farther

1 : at or to a greater distance or more advanced point

got no farther than the first page

nothing could be farther from the truth

2 : to a greater degree or extent

see to it that I do not have to act any farther in the matter
—Bernard DeVoto

See farther defined for English-language learners

See farther defined for kids

farther vs. further

Farther and further have been used more or less interchangeably throughout most of their history, but currently they are showing signs of diverging. As adverbs they continue to be used interchangeably whenever spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance is involved. But where there is no notion of distance, further is used.

- our techniques can be further refined

Further is also used as a sentence modifier

- further, the workshop participants were scarcely optimistic
- —L. B. Mayhew

, but farther is not. A polarizing process appears to be taking place in their adjective use. Farther is taking over the meaning of distance

- the farther shore

and further the meaning of addition.

- needed no further invitation

Examples of farther in a Sentence

It's farther away than I'd thought.
they had traveled farther down the Colorado River than any previous explorers

Recent Examples of farther from the Web

That’s farther than all the sun’s planets and even the Kuiper belt.

— daniel clery, Science | AAAS, "This distant disk may contain the youngest exoplanets ever detected," 14 June 2018
Open a second window farther away, and air circulates into and out of the space much more freely, allowing a more significant breeze.

— matt jancer, Outside Online, "A Eulogy to the Sierra Designs Ultralight Trench," 12 June 2018
Brooklyn, the police-precinct comedy starring Andy Samberg, had more support in New York and California than elsewhere, while Boat also sailed farther in the Golden State, finishing second behind Timeless.

— gary levin, USA TODAY, "Save Our Shows 2018: Fans pick 'Timeless' (again) as TV's most-wanted endangered series," 2 May 2018
Ride a bit farther to the Motown Museum, one of the funkiest, most entertaining attractions anywhere.

— julia sayers, AL.com, "Explore this Michigan college town's food and art scene," 30 Apr. 2018
Still other finds travel much farther, to sustain families in places like Haiti and Sierra Leone.

— samantha melamed, Philly.com, "How Philly's discarded shoes are saving lives in Haiti and Africa," 10 Apr. 2018
And looking even farther out, investors are also cautious about the bull market snapping.

— lucinda shen, Fortune, "Why the Stock Market Is Jumping After Its Worst Week in 2 Years," 27 Mar. 2018
Old Brooklyn was booming as families moved farther out from the city center, in search of the big houses and walkable streets of the quiet neighborhood.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "End of an era: Cleveland's beloved Sausage Shoppe to close after 80 years (photos)," 25 Mar. 2018
But the latter two products seem farther off, making their appearance at WWDC seem less likely.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "The 3 Biggest Things Apple May Be About to Announce," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'farther.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of farther

Middle English ferther, alteration of further

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

farther Synonyms

Synonyms

beyond, further, yon, yonder;

farther

adjective

Definition of farther

1 : more distant : remoter

the farther side of town

2 : further 2

clearing his throat preparatory to farther revelations
—Edith Wharton

See farther defined for English-language learners

Examples of farther in a Sentence

the farther side of town
for farther information on this condition, you should consult your family physician

Recent Examples of farther from the Web

And then those farther to the left jumped on him, and Fox News and those on the right put the boots to him, too.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "30-year-old slacker evicted from parents' basement could prove doubters wrong, lead the millennials," 26 May 2018
And because Thwaites and much of the rest of the ice sheet rest on bedrock that sits below sea level, any retreat of the grounding line lets water penetrate farther inland, melting more ice and further speeding glacier’s flow.

— andrea thompson, Scientific American, "Antarctic Quest Seeks to Predict the Fate of a Linchpin Glacier," 14 May 2018
The crop of acorns from the live oaks that grew on the narrow cheniers veining the coastal marsh and the water oaks and southern red oaks upland farther inland were gone.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Late winter gives Texas hunters best shot at feral hogs," 24 Jan. 2018
An easterly component to the winds will still allow those residing close to Lake Michigan to experience temperatures in the 70s, while farther inland readings approach or exceed the 90-degree mark.

— tom skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Another warm day, but clouds on the increase," 28 May 2018
Another report, by the authority which administers the scheme, concluded that irrigation in the basin’s upper reaches was still depriving those farther downstream, like Mr McBride, of water.

— The Economist, "Australia’s biggest river is running dry, despite plans to save it," 19 May 2018
Three refineries in Corpus Christi and one farther inland at Three Rivers were shutting down ahead of the storm Supermarket shelves are also emptying fast as residents stock up on food, water and other essentials before Harvey strikes.

— kaila contreras, Houston Chronicle, "Kings Harbor stores begin to bounce back after Harvey," 16 May 2018
Moose, bears, coyotes and other animals share city trails, and that's especially true the farther one travels from downtown.

— yoshina okamoto, Anchorage Daily News, "Tackle Anchorage’s terrific city trail system," 3 May 2018
Three refineries in Corpus Christi and one farther inland at Three Rivers were shutting down ahead of the storm Supermarket shelves are also emptying fast as residents stock up on food, water and other essentials before Harvey strikes.

— nancy sarnoff, Houston Chronicle, "Report: Less than 20 percent of Harvey-flooded homes were in MUDs," 24 Apr. 2018