Distant means far away in space or time. It can also describe someone who seems emotionally cold or not very friendly.
From Latin 'distantem' meaning 'standing apart', from 'distare' meaning 'to stand apart', from 'dis-' and 'stare' meaning 'to stand'. The physical idea of 'standing far away' grew into emotional distance.
We use the same word for faraway galaxies and faraway feelings. That’s why 'distant relative' can mean someone on your family tree or someone who just feels like a stranger.
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