adj
Meaning 1
Barely within reach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literally, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
arm's length
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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adj
Meaning 2
Distant, detached.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Independent, but related.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A distance approximately equal to the length of a human's arm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- I need about ten arm's lengths of yarn.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A position not suggesting or inviting intimacy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- She remained at arm's length though we worked together for many years.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A condition of independence and parity for parties to a transaction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- The police work at arm's length from the army.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
a distance sufficient to exclude intimacy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: distance, length
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: käsivarren mitta — distance
- Finnish: etäisyys (pitää etäisyyttä - to remain at arm's length) — figuratively: position not suggesting or inviting intimacy
- Finnish: erillisyys — figuratively: condition of independence and parity
- Finnish: erillinen asema — figuratively: condition of independence and parity
- Finnish: erillään — figuratively: condition of independence and parity