further

English Online Dictionary. What means further‎? What does further mean?

English

Alternative forms

• farther (See also the usage notes below.)

Etymology

From Middle English further, forther, from Old English forþor, furþor (“further”, adverb), from Proto-West Germanic *furþer, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (a common preposition), equivalent to fore + -ther (a vestigial comparative ending still present in such words as other, either, whether, and, in altered form, in after); or as sometimes stated, as forth +‎ -er. Cognate with Scots forder, furder (“further”), Saterland Frisian foarder (“further”), West Frisian fierder (“further”), Dutch verder (“further”), German fürder (“further”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: fûr′thər
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈfɜː.ðə/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈfɝ.ðɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ðə(ɹ)

Verb

further (third-person singular simple present furthers, present participle furthering, simple past and past participle furthered)

1. (transitive) To help forward; to assist.
2. (transitive) To encourage growth; to support progress or growth of something; to promote.

Derived terms

• furtherance
• furtherment
• furthersome

Translations

Adjective

further (not comparable)

1. (comparative form of far) More distant; relatively distant.

2. More, additional.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

further (not comparable)

1. (comparative form of far) To, at or over a greater distance in space, time or other extent.
2. (comparative form of far) To a greater extent or degree.

3. Beyond what is already stated or is already the case.

   Chapter 10 further explains the ideas introduced in Chapter 9.

   Don't confuse things further.

   Further, affiant sayeth naught. (A formal statement ending a deposition or affidavit, immediately preceding the affiant's signature.)
4. (conjunctive) Also; in addition; furthermore; moreover.
6. (with to) Following on (from).

Derived terms

• furthermore
• seek-no-further

Translations

Usage notes

In respect of general adjectival and adverbial use, some usage guides distinguish farther and further, with farther referring to distance, and further referring to degree or time. Others, such as the OED, recommend farther as a comparative form of far and further for use when it is not comparative. However, most authorities consider the two interchangeable in most or all circumstances, and historically, they were not distinguished.

Farther is uncommon or old-fashioned in certain subsidiary senses, such as the adjectival sense of "more, additional" and the adverbial sense "moreover". It is virtually never used as a replacement for "further" in the phrase "further to".

As a verb, further greatly predominates over farther in modern English.

See also

• far

References