The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word IMPERSONAL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
I
M
P
E
R
S
O
N
A
L
More clues leading to the result IMPERSONAL
- Cool criminal in capital of Sicily, Palermo
- Possibly a “no”, simpler being detached
- Distant monkey reaching New Orleans
- Detached semi requiring plan or otherwise
- Vile prison meal, cold
- Formal emails riddled with porn
- Male prison, dreadfully cold
- Cold sore with lip man treated
- Starchy prison meal’s sloppy
- Unfriendly male prison in need of reform
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Distant" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case distant = impersonal.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does IMPERSONAL mean?
IMPERSONAL noun- (grammar) An impersonal word or construct.
- Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality.
- Lacking warmth or emotion; cold.
- (grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent.