LawProse Lesson #135: Farther vs. further

Farther vs. further The best way to handle these terms (both comparative degrees of far) is to use farther literally and further figuratively.      Farther refers to physical distances {Timothy ran farther up the street than Susan} {From Dallas, it’s farther to Chicago than to St. Louis}. Further, on the other hand, refers to figurative or metaphorical distances {The court refused to extend the broad definition any further} {Parents who are further down the parenting road may reassure the parents of newborn babies}. The AP Stylebook states that further refers to an extension of time or degree {The police will look further into the matter now that a new witness has come forward}. And according to The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage, further also means “additional or continued” {The law clerk should do further research on the issue of attorney-client privilege}. The superlatives — farthest and furthest — follow the same patterns. Furthermost is a fairly rare equivalent of farthest {The biographies are located in the furthermost [read farthest] corner of the library}. It’s sometimes misused for furthest {Firing employees was the furthermost [read furthest] thing from the CEO’s mind}. But because furthermost is antiquated and misleading, it’s better to avoid it. Farthest is much clearer. Some grammarians don’t strictly distinguish between farther and further. In The Writer’s Art, James Kilpatrick said that “except where physical distance is plainly implied (and of course in the use of further as a verb) the words are interchangeable. I would employ one or the other depending upon the sound of the sentence.” And according to Philip Gooden, “Farther means the same as further, and is preferred by some people when physical distance is the topic . . . . Since further is acceptable in all contexts, stick to this spelling if in doubt.” But the differentiation between farther and further is well established, and educated readers know the difference. If you are uncertain whether a distance is physical or figurative, recast the sentence. Consult the sources below for further reading on this subject. Sources: Garner’s Modern American Usage 346 (3d ed. 2009). Garner’s Dictionary of Legal Usage 353 (3d ed. 2011). The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style § 12.3, at 276 (3d ed. 2013). The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 103 (2013). Allan M. Siegal & William G. Connolly, The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage 129 (rev. ed. 1999). James J. Kilpatrick, The Writer’s Art (1984). Philip Gooden, Who’s Whose: A No-Nonsense Guide to Easily Confused Words 117 (2004). Thanks to D’Andra Millsap Shu and Richard H. Stern for suggesting this topic.