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further

Pronunciation: /ˈfəːðə/
used as comparative of far
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Definition of further

adverb

(also farther)
  • 1at, to, or by a greater distance (used to indicate the extent to which one thing or person is or becomes distant from another):for some time I had wanted to move further from London figurativethe EU seems to have moved further away from the original aims
  • [with negative] used to emphasize the difference between a supposed or suggested fact or state of mind and the truth:as for her being a liar, nothing could be further from the truth nothing could be further from his mind than marrying
  • 2over a greater expanse of space or time; for a longer way:we had walked further than I realized figurativewages have been driven down even further
  • beyond the point already reached or the distance already covered:Amelie decided to drive further up the coast before going any further we need to define our terms
  • beyond or in addition to what has already been done:this theme will be developed further in Chapter 6
  • [sentence adverb] used to introduce a new point relating to or reinforcing a previous statement:On the Internet, the size and scope of the market is several orders of magnitude higher. Further, it is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
  • at or to a more advanced, successful, or desirable stage:determination could not get her any further at the end of three years they were no further on

adjective

  • 1 (also farther /ˈfɑːðə/) more distant in space than another item of the same kind:two men were standing at the further end of the clearing
  • more remote from a central point:the museum is in the further reaches of the town
  • 2additional to what already exists or has already taken place, been done, or been accounted for:cook for a further ten minutes

verb

[with object]
  • help the progress or development of (something); promote:he had depended on using them to further his own career

Phrases

further to your (or our) ——

formal used at the beginning of a letter or in speech as a way of raising a matter discussed in an earlier letter, article, or conversation:further to our letter of 12th October, we confirm that our client will give full vacant possession on completion

not go any further

(of a secret) not be told to anyone else: I feel I can talk to you knowing that whatever I say won’t go any further

until further notice

used to indicate that a situation will not change until another announcement is made:the museum is closed to the public until further notice

until further orders

used to indicate that a situation is only to change when another command is received:they were to be kept in prison until further orders

Derivatives

furtherer

noun

Origin:

Old English furthor (adverb), furthra (adjective), fyrthrian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to forth

Is there any difference between further and farther in she moved further down the train and she moved farther down the train? Both words share the same roots: in the sentences given above, where the sense is ‘at, to, or by a greater distance’, there is no difference in meaning, and both are equally correct. Further is a much commoner word, though, and is in addition used in various abstract and metaphorical contexts, for example referring to time, in which farther is unusual, e.g. without further delay; have you anything further to say?; we intend to stay a further two weeks. The same distinction is made between farthest and furthest: the farthest point from the sun versus this first team has gone furthest in its analysis.

further in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of further in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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