by far

Idioms & Phrases

by far

Also, far and away. To the greatest degree, by a large margin. For example, She is by far the most experienced member of the cast, or, as Anthony Trollope wrote, "He was far and away the cleverest of his party" (The Duke's Children, 1880). The first term dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the mid-1800s. Also see by half.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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