a certain distance away
a few miles distant
remote in space or time
the distant hills
said of travels, etc: to faraway places
not closely related
a distant cousin
reserved or aloof in personal relationships; cold
polite but distant
said of somebody's eyes or expression: abstracted from the immediate present
distantly adv
distantness noun
[via French from Latin distant-, distans, present part. of distare to stand apart, be distant, from dis- + stare to stand]