1
a
: separated in space : away
a mile distant
b
: situated at a great distance (see distance entry 1 sense 2a) : far-off
a distant galaxy
c
: having a great amount of separation between each other : separated by a great distance from each other : far apart
visiting distant places
distant campuses
d
: far behind
finished a distant third
2
: separated in a relationship other than spatial
a distant cousin
the distant past
3
: different in kind
from two very distant backgrounds
5
a
: going a long distance
distant voyages
b
: concerned with remote (see remote entry 1 sense 2) things
distant thoughts
distantly
adverb
distantness
noun
Examples of distant in a Sentence
In the distant past, dinosaurs roamed the earth.
The day I left home is now a distant memory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Gravitational lensing is the best way to infer the presence of incredibly distant objects and measure their mass.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Or maybe one dreams of leaving a dying Earth to colonize Mars or other distant planets.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
But for the church officials and the families at Holy Family Church, the pope was not a distant religious figure in a faraway country, but a daily presence.
—Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
What to know about the distant exoplanet When is the Lyrid meteor shower peaking?
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distant
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Or maybe one dreams of leaving a dying Earth to colonize Mars or other distant planets.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
But for the church officials and the families at Holy Family Church, the pope was not a distant religious figure in a faraway country, but a daily presence.
—Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
What to know about the distant exoplanet When is the Lyrid meteor shower peaking?
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distant
Cite this Entry
“Distant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distant. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distant
adjective
dis·tant
ˈdis-tənt 
1
2
: not close in relationship
distant cousin
distantly
adverb
distantness
noun
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