distance.
An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
Meaning & usage
An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. Chiefly in by a distance: a space of more than 30 lengths (about 80 yards or 7.3 metres) between two racehorses finishing a race, used to describe the margin of victory; also (archaic), any space of 240 yards (about 219.5 metres) on a racecourse.
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.
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.
A separation in some way other than space or time.
The friendship did not survive the row: they kept each other at a 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.
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 maximum amount of space between a boxer and their opponent within which the boxer can punch effectively.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. Often in go the distance, last the distance, or stay the distance: the scheduled duration of a bout.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. The amount of space between a fencer and their opponent, which the fencer tries to control in order to gain an advantage over the opponent.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. Originally, the space measured back from the winning post which a racehorse running in a heat must reach when the winner has covered the whole course, in order to run in a subsequent heat; also, the point on the racecourse that space away from the winning post; now, the point on a racecourse 240 yards from the winning post.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. The amount of space between soldiers or cavalry riders marching or standing in a rank; also, the amount of space between such ranks.
The amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. The complete length of a course over which a race is run.
Chiefly preceded by the, especially in into or in the distance: the place that is far away or remote.
The state of being separated from something else, especially by a long way; the state of being far off or remote; farness, remoteness.
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.
Excessive reserve or lack of friendliness shown by a person; aloofness, coldness.
The rank to which an important person belongs.
The state of disagreement or dispute between people; dissension.
Often followed by to or towards: an attitude of remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, ceremoniousness.
Where this word comes from
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
Often followed by from: to set (someone or something) at a distance (noun sense 1.1) from someone or something else.
To cause (a place, a thing, etc.) to seem distant, or (figurative) unfamiliar.
To leave behind (someone or something moving in the same direction; specifically, other competitors in a race) some distance away; to outpace, to outstrip.
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.
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.
To cover the entire distance to (something).
To depart from (a place); to leave (a place) behind.
To indicate or measure the distance to (a place).
To set (two or more things) at regular distances from each other; to space, to space out.
Often followed by from. To set oneself at a distance from someone or something else; to move away from someone or something.
Often followed by from. To keep oneself emotionally or socially apart from another person or people; to keep one's distance.
Where this word comes from
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
Try it on your idea.
distance has 8 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.
These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.
Explore the name generatorA word with a source.
Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.