adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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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/ˈdɪs.təl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪstəl
CMU ARPABET:D IH1 S T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Remote from the point of attachment or origin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Facing the wisdom tooth or temporomandibular joint on the same side of the jaw.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: dentistry, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Far or farther from the speaker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
situated farthest from point of attachment or origin, as of a limb or bone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: proximal
5
adjective
Meaning 5
directed away from the midline or mesial plane of the body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: mesial
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *steh2- Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *sth2éh1yeti Proto-Italic *staējō Proto-Italic *staēō Latin stō Latin distō Latin distānsder. Old French distantbor. Middle English distaunt English distant English -al English distal From distant + -al.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
периферен
(periferen)
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Catalan:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Chinese Mandarin:
末梢部的
(mòshāobù de)
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Czech:
distální
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Danish:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Dutch:
distaal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Finnish:
kaukainen
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Finnish:
distaalinen
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
French:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
German:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Greek:
άπω
(ápo)
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Indonesian:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Irish:
aimhneasach
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Irish:
foircneach
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Italian:
distale
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Northern Kurdish:
dûrî
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Polish:
dystalny
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Portuguese:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Romanian:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Russian:
диста́льный
(distálʹnyj)
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Russian:
удалённый
(udaljónnyj)
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Spanish:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin
Swedish:
distal
— remote from the point of attachment or origin