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from, at, or to a distance; far away (usually followed by off):
he saw the castle afar off.
from afar, from a long way off:
the princess saw him riding toward her from afar.
a member of a nomadic muslim people living in eritrea, djibouti, and northern ethiopia.
the northern cush-tic language spoken by the afars.
contemporary examples

demonstrators aside, the chicago police department has already faced hackers who protest from afar.
chicago goes into security lockdown ahead of nato summit caitlin d-ckson may 17, 2012

i had read and admired his columns from afar, and i told her that to me she was somebody.
the graham family’s shock ‘washington post’ sale to jeff bezos eleanor clift august 5, 2013

from afar, he had played a key role in helping along the protest movement that eventually forced mubarak from power.
freedom house ngo worker returns to egypt to face trial mike giglio june 2, 2012

nor will it ever feel natural to gaze upon hogwarts, flanked by its iconic boars—and the palm trees that surround it—from afar.
my sneak peek at harry potter world melissa anelli june 13, 2010

while it may not always be clear from afar, sarkozy can be a strategic genius.
the g-20’s drama queen eric pape september 23, 2009

historical examples

late at night i would hear from afar their stumbling footsteps and their voices raised in endless argument.
the mirror of the sea joseph conrad

and a cry, louder than before and more distinct, came clearly from afar.
“unto caesar” baroness emmuska orczy

so the king made a proclamation through his whole kingdom, and ladies came from afar to lay claim to the honour.
the green fairy book various

then as now jove’s thunders from afar had proclaimed the wrath of the gods.
“unto caesar” baroness emmuska orczy

most of it had been on the trail—in the traces—and the spirit of the mating season had only stirred him from afar.
kazan james oliver curwood

adverb
at, from, or to a great distance
noun
a great distance (esp in the phrase from afar)
adv.

contraction of middle english of feor (late 12c.), on ferr (c.1300), from old english feor “far” (see far); the a- representing both of and on compounds (which meant the same thing). spelled afer in 14c.
american federation for aging research