à distance

\a dis.tɑ̃s\

/\a dis.tɑ̃s\/ adj

The verdict

“à distance” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - De loin, sans contact physique ou direct.

Corpus desk

Index FR-a-distance · à distance · French

à distance · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "À" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for à distance
PropertyValue
Headwordà distance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\a dis.tɑ̃s\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « à distance » en français

à distancen'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

à distance is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \a dis.tɑ̃s\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for à distance in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is à distance, spelled À- -D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    De loin, sans contact physique ou direct.
  2. 2
    Plus loin.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how à distance appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. En 1996, l’université de Rouen a conclu un partenariat avec le CNED pour proposer une préparation à distance du DESS ingénierie de la formation.
  2. À distance, sous une autre galerie, le nouveau divisionnaire était en grande conversation avec le proc, ainsi qu’avec deux hommes en blouse blanche, qui étaient peut-être des infirmiers ou des psychiatres.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "à distance"?
"à distance" is spelled À- -D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \a dis.tɑ̃s\.
What does "à distance" mean?
As an adjective, "à distance" means: De loin, sans contact physique ou direct.
How do you pronounce "à distance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "à distance" is \a dis.tɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "à distance" come from?
"à distance" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list