Farther

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈfɑːðə/

Definitions

1. Indicating a greater physical distance in comparison to something else
2. Used to express a farther extent or range in space than a reference point
3. Referring to something located at a more remote spatial position than another

Etymology: Farther and further are, in fact, the same word wearing two outfits. The "far" in both comes from Old English "feorr," and "further" grew out of the comparative form "fierra" with an extra "-th-" sound added, a pattern that also gave us "elder" beside "old." Over the centuries the two spellings drifted into a rough division of labor, with "farther" often reserved for physical distance and "further" for figurative or additional senses, though many speakers and dictionaries treat them as interchangeable. The split is more a matter of habit than of ancient grammar. Writers in the past used both forms for literal and abstract ideas alike, and the distinction was never fixed in the way schoolteachers sometimes suggest. Because "farther" simply records the older "far" plus a comparative ending, it reads as the more transparent of the pair, which may explain why it has held onto the physical sense so firmly.

Synonyms: further, more remote, more distant

Antonyms: closer, nearer