distance

verb

move away

L31865 on Wikidata ↗

noun

straight line that connects two points in a measurable space or in an observable physical space

L4575 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/

noun

Etymology: 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 forming feminine abstract nouns). Distāns is the present active participle of distō (“to be distant; to stand apart; to differ”), from dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, asunder; in two’) + stō (“to stand”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”)). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates * Middle Dutch distancie, distantie (modern Dutch distantie); Dutch afstand (“distance”, literally “off-stand, off-stance”) * German Distanz; German Abstand * Italian distanza * Portuguese distância * Spanish distancia

An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
“[S]he […] gaue vs into our boate our ſupper halfe dreſſed, pots, and all, and brought vs to our boates ſide, in which wee laye all night, remoouing the ſame a pretie diſtance from the ſhoare: […]”
“The prince is here at hand, pleaſeth your Lordſhip / To meet his grace iuſt diſtance tvveene our armies.”
An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
Chiefly in from a distance: a place which is far away or remote; specifically (especially painting), a more remote part of a landscape or view as contrasted with the foreground.
“VVhen from a Diſtance (I ſpeak vvith the Vulgar) vve behold great Objects, the Particles of the intermediate Air and Vapours, vvhich are themſelves unperceivable, do interrupt the Rays of Light, and thereby render the Appearance leſs Strong and Vivid; […]”
“Vievv'd from a diſtance, and vvith heedleſs eyes, / Folly and innocence are ſo alike, / The diff'rence, though eſſential, fails to ſtrike.”
Chiefly with a modifying word: a measure between two points or quantities; a difference, a variance.
“angular distance focal distance”
“The distance between the lowest and next gear on my bicycle is annoying.”
An interval or length of time between events.
“VVe cannot tell, at this diſtance of time, vvhich Converſation vvas firſt, that vvith Phalaris, or that vvith Leon.”
“I Muſt help my Preface by a Poſtſcript, to tell the Reader, that there is Ten Years Diſtance betvveen my vvriting the One and the Other; and that (vvhatever I thought then, and have ſomevvhere ſaid, that I vvould publiſh no more Poetry) He vvill find ſeveral Copies of Verſes ſcattered through this Edition, vvhich vvere not printed in the Firſt.”
A separation in some way other than space or time.
“The friendship did not survive the row: they kept each other at a distance.”
“He ſhall in ſtrangeſt, ſtand no farther off, / Then in a politique diſtance.”
Synonym of length (“an extent measured along the longest dimension of an object”).
A disagreement, a dispute; also, an estrangement.
A difference in pitch between sounds; an interval.
“[N]other perceaueth the concordaunt and diſcordante diſtaunces of ſoundes, and tunes […]”
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
“The distance to Petersborough is thirty miles.”
“From Moscow, the distance is relatively short to Saint Petersburg, relatively long to Novosibirsk, but even greater to Vladivostok.”
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
“[William] Page. I haue heard the French-man hath good skill in his Rapier. / [Robert] Shal[low]. Tut ſir: I could haue told you more: In theſe times you ſtand on diſtance: your Paſſes, Stoccado's, and I knovv not vvhat: […]”
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
“THere vvere a Great many Brave, Sightly Horſes vvith Rich Trappings that vvere brought out One day to the Courſe, and Only One Plain Nag in the Company that made ſport for All the reſt. But vvhen they came at laſt to the Tryal, This vvas the Horſe that ran the VVhole Field out of Diſtance, and VVon the Race. / The MORAL. Our Senſes are No Competent Judges of the Excellencies of the Mind.”
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
Chiefly preceded by the, especially in into or in the distance: the place that is far away or remote.
“There was a little light / That twinkled in the misty distance: […]”
“They walked along the road; Scrooge recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until a little market-town appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its church, and winding river.”
The state of being separated from something else, especially by a long way; the state of being far off or remote; farness, remoteness.
“Some Figures monſtrous and miſ-ſhap'd appear, / Conſider'd ſingly, or beheld too near, / VVhich, but proportion'd to their Light, or Place, / Due Diſtance reconciles to Form and Grace.”
“[Julius] Cæſar is ſtill diſpoſed to give us Terms, / And vvaits at Diſtance 'till he hears from Cato.”
The entire amount of progress to an objective.
“He had promised to perform this task, but did not go the distance.”
The state of remoteness or separation in some way other than space or time.
“the distance between a descendant and their ancestor”
“We’re narrowing the distance between the two versions of the bill.”
The state of people not being close, friendly, or intimate with each other; also, the state of people who were once close, friendly, or intimate with each other no longer being so; estrangement.
“For ſhe vvas ſought by ſpirits of ritcheſt cote, / But kept cold diſtance, and did thence remoue, / To ſpend her liuing in eternall loue.”
“[F]oul diſtruſt, and breach / Diſloyal on the part of Man, revolt, / And diſobedience: On the part of Heav'n / Novv alienated, diſtance and diſtaſte, / Anger and juſt rebuke, and judgement giv'n, […]”
Excessive reserve or lack of friendliness shown by a person; aloofness, coldness.
The rank to which an important person belongs.
“[T]o your eye, / Theſe (Madame) that vvithout your diſtance lie, / Muſt either miſt, or nothing ſeeme to be, […]”
“I am not ſatisfied in vvhat diſtance properly to place theſe perſons. Some, perchance, vvill account it too high, to rank them amongſt Martyrs; and ſurely, I conceive it too lovv, to eſteem them but bare Confeſſours.”
The state of disagreement or dispute between people; dissension.
“Macb[eth]. Both of you knovv Banquo vvas your Enemie. / Murth[erer]. True, my Lord. / Macb. So is he mine: and in ſuch bloody diſtance, / That euery minute of his being, thruſts / Againſt my neer'ſt of Life: […]”
“Generally, the Diuiding and Breaking of all Factions, and Combinations that are aduerſe to the State, and ſetting them at diſtance, or at leaſt diſtruſt amongſt themſelues, is not one of the vvorſt Remedies.”
Often followed by to or towards: an attitude of remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, ceremoniousness.
“[T]hough you ſee / The King is kind, I hope your modeſty / VVill knovv, vvhat diſtance to the Crovvn is due.”
“I vvill not ſift into them too minutely; for I'll obſerve the reſpect and diſtance that's due to him from his Scholar: […]”

verb

Often followed by from: to set (someone or something) at a distance (noun sense 1.1) from someone or something else.
“If therefore the Interpoſition of Gloceſterſhire diſtanceth VVorceſterſhire from confining on the VVeſt-Saxons, the Animadvertor ought to have vented his diſpleaſure not on Me, but on Bede, and [Henry of] Huntington, vvhoſe vvords I exactly tranſlated.”
“The faireſt [oxen] in England are bred (or if you vvill, made) in this County, vvith goodly heads, the Tips of vvhoſe horns are ſometimes diſtanced five foot aſunder.”
To cause (a place, a thing, etc.) to seem distant, or (figurative) unfamiliar.
“That vvhich gives the Relievo to a Bovvl, (may ſome ſay to me) is the quick Light, or the vvhite, vvhich appears to be on the ſide, vvhich is neareſt to us, and the black by conſequence diſtances the Object: […]”
“Below you, where the valley widens greenly toward other mountains, which the ripe Italian air distances with a bloom like that on unplucked grapes, are more arches, ossified arteries of what was once the heart of the world.”
To leave behind (someone or something moving in the same direction; specifically, other competitors in a race) some distance away; to outpace, to outstrip.
“Our fleeter steeds have distanced our attendants; / They lag behind us with a slower pace; / We will await them under the green pendants / Of the great willows in this shady place.”
“He heard only here and there the ecstatic burst of a mocking-bird's wonderful roulades. Then the horse, with muscles as strong as steel, distanced the sound.”
To keep (someone) emotionally or socially apart from another person or people.
To exceed or surpass (someone, such as a peer or rival); to outdo, to outstrip.
To keep (oneself) away from someone or something, especially because one does not want to be associated with that person or thing.
“He distanced himself from the comments made by some of his colleagues.”
“[S]ince the Church hath, and ought to have a Government, it muſt not only be inoffenſive, but moſt proper, to call it an Hierarchy, or holy Government; […] Beſides, [John] Calvin admitting of ſacrum regimen [holy government], over nicely diſtanceth himſelf from thoſe vvho call it Hierarchy, for he ſaith the ſame in Latin, vvhich they do in Greek; […]”
Of a racehorse: to beat (another horse) by a certain distance; also (passive voice), to cause (a horse) to be disqualified by beating it by a certain distance.
“[H]e is of Opinion it is inhuman, that Animals ſhould be put upon their utmoſt Strength and Metal for our Diverſion only. Hovvever, not to be particular, he puts in for the Queen's Plate every Year, vvith Orders to his Rider never to vvin or be diſtanced; […]”
To cover the entire distance to (something).
“The ſunne and all the ſtarres that do appear / She [Psyche] feels them in herſelf, can diſtance all, / For ſhe is at each one purely preſentiall.”
To depart from (a place); to leave (a place) behind.
“[W]e heard the joyous voices sound louder and freer as they distanced the solemn precincts, scattering frolic and music through the town as they separated to their different homes.”
To indicate or measure the distance to (a place).
“THe Hebrevvs diſtanced their places by ſeverall meaſures, ſome arbitrary, caſuall, and uncertain; others certain, as reduced to a conſtant ſtandard. Of the former vvas their meaſuring of land by paces, for vve read, vvhen David ſolemnly brought the Ark into Jeruſalem, vvhen he had gone ſix paces he offered oxen and fatlings.”
To set (two or more things) at regular distances from each other; to space, to space out.
“In the deſign of a Colonnade, or ſingle Columns, the Inter-columns are tvvo diameters, as in the Portico of St. Maria Rotunda at Rome; and this manner of diſtancing the Columns is, by Vitruvius, call'd Syſtylos.”
Often followed by from.
Often followed by from.
“When a family member goes outside of the family to deal with a problem, he or she distances from the family. The family therapist offers the family the opportunity to deal with problems in a way that will allow them to deepen their connections with each other. The therapist will not be able to accomplish this goal if various family members go outside the family to resolve their problems.”
“Also, due to irritability, tension, startle reactions, and feelings of no future love and enjoyment, the partners distance one from another and stop doing things together. […] The therapeutic relationship with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] patients is very difficult at the beginning of the therapy as these patients will not allow the therapist "to come close to them"—for the same reason as they distance from their family members and partners (the therapist cannot understand them as she/he has not experienced the same thing they did and they are not good enough to be helped; they believe they destroy every person they come into contact with).”