verb
further
FUR-thuh
verb
1
To help advance or promote something.
"She took the internship to further her career in journalism."
adj
1
More distant, in space, time, or extent.
"The station is a bit further down the road."
adv
1
To a greater extent or degree.
"Let's discuss this further after lunch."
"He refused to comment further on the allegations."
How to Use Further
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "more distant" or "to a greater degree," and as a verb, "to help something progress."
Common mistake
"Further" is generally used for figurative or abstract distance ("further discussion"), while "farther" is preferred for literal physical distance in American English — though the distinction is often blurred, especially in British English.
Easily confused with
farther
Common pairings
further notice
further education
look no further
Word Forms
furthered past tense, furthers singular
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Etymology
From Old English furþor ("further"), ultimately related to "fore" and the comparative ending seen in words like "other" and "either."