# far be it

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/far-be-it
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A disclaimer stating that something should not come to pass, or that a person would never do or think a certain thing.

## Examples

- Far be it from me to tell you how to live.
- Far be it from him to complain about a free meal.
- Far be it from her to judge how you spend your money.
- Far be it from me to criticize your cooking, but the soup needs a little more salt.
- Far be it from us to interfere with your wedding plans, but have you considered the weather in October?
- Far be it from me to suggest you are wrong, but the data in this report looks a bit unusual.
- Far be it from the manager to discourage your creativity, but we must follow the safety guidelines exactly as they are written in the handbook.
- Far be it from me to question the wisdom of the board, yet I must point out the risks in this new strategy.

## Origin

Calque of Latin absit ("may it be away"), found in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible as part of the phrase absit hoc a me ("may this [thing] be away from me") at 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 22:15 and 2 Samuel 20:20. Wyclif translated the phrase "Fer be this fro me"; the King James Version at 2 Samuel 20:20 has "Far be it from me".

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.