distant

adjective

dis·​tant ˈdi-stənt 

1

a

: separated in space : away

a mile distant

b

: situated at a great distance (see distance entry 1 sense 2a) : far-off

a distant galaxy

c

: having a great amount of separation between each other : separated by a great distance from each other : far apart

visiting distant places

distant campuses

d

: far behind

finished a distant third

2

: separated in a relationship other than spatial

a distant cousin

the distant past

3

: different in kind

from two very distant backgrounds

4

: reserved or aloof in personal relationship : cold

was distant and distracted

5

a

: going a long distance

distant voyages

b

: concerned with remote (see remote entry 1 sense 2) things

distant thoughts

distantly adverb

distantness noun

Synonyms

• away
• deep
• far
• faraway
• far-flung
• far-off
• remote
• removed

Examples of distant in a Sentence

In the distant past, dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The day I left home is now a distant memory.

Recent Examples on the Web

That changed with ecclesiastical reforms introduced under Pope Gregory X, who mandated a minimum 10-day waiting period to allow time for prayer and reflection—and for distant cardinals to travel to Rome. —Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

At least eight other Iowa hospitals have stopped offering inpatient mental health care since 2007, forcing people in crisis to seek help at distant facilities. —Tony Leys, NPR, 8 May 2025

They were supposed to go to distant retrograde orbit — the DRO in the pair's name — around the moon, to help provide navigation and tracking for spacecraft in Earth-moon space. —Julian Dossett, Space.com, 8 May 2025

This one, though, evaporated in seven pitches and was a distant memory not too many pitches after that. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin distant-, distans, present participle of distare to stand apart, be distant, from dis- + stare to stand — more at stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing distant

• distant look in someone's eye
• in the not too distant future
• the dim and distant past

Rhymes for distant

• assistant
• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• resistant
• subsistent
• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent

Kids Definition

distant

adjective

dis·​tant ˈdis-tənt 

1

a

: separated in space or time : away

b

: being at a great distance : far-off

distant galaxies

c

: far apart

2

: not close in relationship

distant cousin

3

: cold entry 1 sense 2, unfriendly

distantly adverb

distantness noun