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Added 8 October 2026

distance

/ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/ noun

In Latin: distantia Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about distance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The property created by the space between two objects or points.
A distant region.
I could see it in the distance
Size of the gap between two places.
the distance from New York to Chicago

verb

Keep at a distance.
we have to distance ourselves from these events in order to continue living
Go far ahead of.
He outdistanced the other runners

Origin

From Middle English distance, distaunce, destance (“disagreement, dispute; discrimination; armed conflict; hostility; trouble; space between two points; time interval”), from Anglo-Norman distance, distaunce, destance, Middle French distance, and Old French destance, destaunce, distaunce (“debate; difference, distinction; discord, quarrel; dispute; space between two points; time interval”) (modern French distance), and directly from their etymon Latin distantia (“difference, diversity; distance, remoteness; space between two points”) (whence also Late Latin distantia (“disagreement; discrepancy; gap, opening; time interval”)), from distāns (“being distant; standing apart”) + -ia (suffix form.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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