ˈdistənt adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin distant-, distans, present participle of distare to stand apart, be distant, from dis- apart + stare to stand — more at dis- , stand
1.
a. : separated away in space : situated at some distance
set up a pole a mile distant from the beginning mark
the ridge of hills some miles distant — American Guide Series: Michigan
traveling to a more distant place
also : at a great distance : far-off
the ship was headed for distant countries
would like to escape to some distant spot
b. : separated by intervals of greater or less regularity
when he smiled he showed a row of distant teeth
a grove of distant trees
also : being far apart : separated by a great distance from each other
communication was difficult between such distant places
c. : separated in a relationship other than spatial (as that of time, blood, or character)
heartbeats that were distant and very feeble
in those distant years when scholars will be able to write the history of the Far East with access to all the sources — Robert Payne
a distant relative
willful blindness to distant consequences — A.L.Guérard
2. : different in kind
a play far distant from the one he first wrote
pieces by far distant composers
3. : reserved or aloof in personal relationship : not cordial : somewhat haughty : cold
treated all people with a distant politeness
a distant manner
4. : coming from or going to a distance
distant voyages
also : concerned with or directed toward things at a distance
distant thoughts
a distant look in the eye
• dis·tant·ly adverb
• dis·tant·ness noun -es