Standard Lemma guide

distal

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /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

Topics: anatomy, geography, geology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • the distal end of a bone or muscle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: proximal

2

adj

Meaning 2

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
Real reading context

distal in complete knowledge articles