different between further vs refine

English

Etymology

From Middle English further, forther, from Old English furþor (“further”, adverb), from Proto-West Germanic *furþer, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (a common preposition), equivalent to fore + -ther (a vestigial comparative ending still present in such words as other, either, whether, and, in altered form, in after); or as sometimes stated, as forth +? -er. Cognate with Scots forder, furder, Saterland Frisian foarder, West Frisian fierder, Dutch verder, German fürder.

Pronunciation

• enPR: fûr?th?r IPA^(key): /f??(?)ð?(?)/
• Rhymes: -??(r)ð?(r)

Alternative forms

• farther (See also the usage notes below.)

Verb

further (third-person singular simple present furthers, present participle furthering, simple past and past participle furthered)

1. (transitive) To help forward; to assist.
   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 558:

     Upon this he brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me, said, "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go forth with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may further thy return voyage to thy native land."

2. (transitive) To encourage growth; to support progress or growth of something; to promote.

Derived terms

• furtherance
• furtherment
• furthersome

Translations

Adjective

further (not comparable)

1. (comparative form of far) More distant; relatively distant.

   See those two lampposts? Run to the further one.

   He was standing at the further end of the corridor.

2. More, additional.

   I have one further comment to make.

Derived terms

• furtherdom
• furtherhood
• furtherness

Translations

Adverb

further (not comparable)

1. (comparative form of far) To, at or over a greater distance in space, time or other extent.
2. (comparative form of far) To a greater extent or degree.

   Of the two civilisations, this one was further advanced.

   I do not propose to discuss it any further. - Please, let me explain just a little further.

3. Beyond what is already stated or is already the case.

   Chapter 10 further explains the ideas introduced in Chapter 9.

   Don't confuse things further.

   Further, affiant sayeth naught. (A formal statement ending a deposition or affidavit, immediately preceding the affiant's signature.)
4. (conjunctive) Also; in addition; furthermore; moreover.

   It is overlong, and further, it makes no sense.

   • 1924, Aristotle, W. D. Ross (translator), Metaphysics, Book 1, Part 6,

     Further, besides sensible things and Forms he says there are the objects of mathematics, which occupy an intermediate position, […] .

5. (in the phrase 'further to') Following on (from).

   Further to our recent telephone call, I am writing to clarify certain points raised.

   This example is further to the one on page 17.

Derived terms

• furthermore

Translations

Usage notes

In respect of general adjectival and adverbial use, some usage guides distinguish farther and further, with farther referring to distance, and further referring to degree or time. Others, such as the OED, recommend farther as a comparative form of far and further for use when it is not comparative. However, most authorities consider the two interchangeable in most or all circumstances, and historically, they were not distinguished.

Farther is uncommon or old-fashioned in certain subsidiary senses, such as the adjectival sense of "more, additional" and the adverbial sense "moreover". It is virtually never used as a replacement for "further" in the phrase "further to".

As a verb, further greatly predominates over farther in modern English.

See also

• far

References

English

Etymology

re- +? fine

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???fa?n/
• Rhymes: -a?n
• Hyphenation: re?fine

Verb

refine (third-person singular simple present refines, present participle refining, simple past and past participle refined)

1. (transitive) To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.

2. (intransitive) To become pure; to be cleared of impure matter.
3. (transitive) To purify of coarseness, vulgarity, inelegance, etc.; to polish.

4. (transitive, intransitive) To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
5. (transitive) To make nice or subtle.

Related terms

• refinable
• refinement
• refiner
• refinery

Translations

Further reading

• refine in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• refine in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Feiner, enfire, ferine, fineer

Portuguese

Verb

refine

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of refinar
3. first-person singular imperative of refinar
4. third-person singular imperative of refinar

Spanish

Verb

refine

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of refinar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of refinar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of refinar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of refinar.