Use ‘farther’ while you can

4 comments August 21st, 2008

When referring to degrees of “far,” the preferred usage — by far — is “farther” (or “farthest”) for physical distances and “further” (or “furthest”) for extensions of time or degree. So, we walk “farther” into the woods, but we look “further” into how we got lost.

As noted by Mark Davidson in “Right, Wrong, and Risky,” only “further” will work as an adjective meaning “additional,” as in “for further reading,” and as a verb for “to advance,” as in, “She decided to further her education.”

There’s also “furthermore” for “in addition; besides; moreover.” There is no “farthermore.” And “furthermost” is the same as “farthest,” but the former is fairly uncommon.

Theodore M. Bernstein, writing in 1978 in “The Careful Writer,” speculated that the use of “farther” would vanish within 50 years. But so far, it’s hanging in there.