English
further
Etymology

From Middle English further, forther, from Old English forþor, furþor, 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 .

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈfɜː.ðə/
  • (America, Canada) IPA: /ˈfɝ.ðɚ/
Verb

further (furthers, present participle furthering; simple past and past participle furthered)

  1. (transitive) To help forward; to assist.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i ↗:
      In happie houre we haue ſet the Crowne
      Upon your Kingly head, that ſeeks our honor,
      In ioyning with the man, ordain’d by heauen
      To further euerie action to the beſt.
    • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 558:
      Upon this he brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me, said, "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go forth with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may further thy return voyage to thy native land."
  2. (transitive) To encourage growth; to support progress or growth of something; to promote.
    Further the economy.
    to further the peace process
Translations Translations Adjective

further (not comparable)

  1. (comparative form of far) More distant; relatively distant.
    See those two lampposts? Run to the further one.
    He was standing at the further end of the corridor.
  2. More, additional.
    I have one further comment to make.
Translations Translations Adverb

further (not comparable)

  1. (comparative form of far) To, at or over a greater distance in space, time or other extent.
    I can run further than you.
    I live a little further out of town.
    How was your company doing ten years further back?
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      “A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. […]”
  2. (comparative form of far) To a greater extent or degree.
    Of the two civilisations, this one was further advanced.
    I do not propose to discuss it any further. - Please, let me explain just a little further.
  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.
    It is overlong, and further, it makes no sense.
    • 1924, Aristotle, translated by W. D. Ross, Metaphysics, Book 1, Part 6:
      Further, besides sensible things and Forms he says there are the objects of mathematics, which occupy an intermediate position, […] .
  5. (with to) Following on (from).
    Further to our recent telephone call, I am writing to clarify certain points raised.
    This example is further to the one on page 17.
Translations Translations

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