# distant

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈdɪstənt/ · frequency rank #5,212

## Definitions
1. Far off (physically, logically or mentally).
2. Emotionally unresponsive or unwilling to express genuine feelings.
3. Imported into a cable television system from a different market (and thus possibly incurring a copyright royalty).

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English distaunt, from Old French distant, from Latin distāns.

## Easily confused with
- **distort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distant-vs-distort)
- **distinct** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distant-vs-distinct)
- **distract** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distant-vs-distract)
- **distaste** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distant-vs-distaste)
- **distantly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distant-vs-distantly)
- **distal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distal-vs-distant)
- **dissent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dissent-vs-distant)
- **disband** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/disband-vs-distant)
- **distance** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distance-vs-distant)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddistant`, `disatnt`, `disstant`, `distannt`, `distantt`, `distatn`, `distnat`, `disttant`, `ditsant`, `dsitant`, `idstant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/distant