further

[fur-ther]

adverb

1. at or to a greater distance; farther.

   I'm too tired to go further.

2. at or to a more advanced point; to a greater extent.

   Let's not discuss it further.

3. in addition; moreover.

   Further, he should be here any minute.

adjective

1. more distant or remote; farther.

   The map shows it to be further than I thought.

2. more extended.

   Does this mean a further delay?

3. additional; more.

   Further meetings seem pointless.

verb (used with object)

1. to help forward (a work, undertaking, cause, etc.); promote; advance; forward.

   You can always count on him to further his own interests.

further

/ ˈfɜːðə /

adverb

1. in addition; furthermore

2. to a greater degree or extent

3. to or at a more advanced point

4. to or at a greater distance in time or space; farther

adjective

1. additional; more

2. more distant or remote in time or space; farther

verb

1. (tr) to assist the progress of; promote

Confusables Note

See farther.

Other Word Forms

• furtherer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of further¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English furthere, Old English furthra; cognate with German vordere “more advanced”

Word History and Origins

Origin of further¹

Old English furthor ; related to Old Frisian further , Old Saxon furthor , Old High German furdar ; see _forth

Idioms and Phrases

see without further ado.

Example Sentences

By 4 September the armoured vehicles had moved on, images reviewed by BBC Verify showed, with further damage inflicted on buildings in the area.

From BBC

The US jobs market weakened further in August, raising new fears about the health of the world's largest economy.

From BBC

In his report, he said she did seek legal advice when buying the property, but failed to seek further expert tax advice as recommended.

From BBC

Katharine continued to work with the UN children's charity Unicef, and to help victims of landmines in Cambodia - but she drifted further and further away from the Royal Family.

From BBC

Of course, this technology can be further improved.

From Salon

Related Words

• encourage 
• expedite 
• facilitate 
• hasten 
• help 
• promote 
• speed 

When To Use

What’s the difference between further and farther?

Further commonly means to a greater figurative distance, as in Nothing could be further from the truth, or to a greater extent, as in Let’s discuss this further. It can also mean at or to a greater literal distance. This is what farther most commonly means, as in a few steps farther or two miles farther or We’re moving even farther away. The traditional distinction is that farther is used for literal distances and that further should be used for figurative distances or metaphorical extents, though in everyday communication, they are often used interchangeably, with further being often used for literal distances and farther being used to mean at a more advanced point or to a great extent.However, further is used in a few ways that farther is not. Further can be used as a verb meaning to advance something, such as an agenda or cause, as in This will help to further our cause. As an adjective, further can mean more extended, as in further delays, or additional, as in We will hold further meetings. It can also be used in the beginning of a sentence or clause to mean the same thing as furthermore, in addition, or moreover, as in I don’t like ice cream. Further, I don’t like pistachios. So why would you buy me pistachio ice cream? You can remember that farther is typically used for literal distance by remembering that it’s the comparative form of the adjective far, with the superlative form being farthest.Here’s an example of further and farther used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I have to drive farther than usual for work today—I’ll explain further when I get home.Want to learn more? Go the distance by reading the full breakdown of the difference between further and farther.