Forward

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈfɔːwÉ™d/
• US IPA: /ˈfɔɹwÉšd/, /ˈfoÊŠwÉšd/
• Australia IPA: /ˈfoːwÉ™d/
• Homophones: foreword
• Hyphenation: for + ward

Alternative forms

• foreward

From Middle English, from Old English foreweard ("condition, bargain, agreement, contract, treaty, assurance"), equivalent to - + ward("ward, keeping"). Cognate with Scots forward ("covenant, compact"), Dutch voorwaarde ("condition, terms, proviso, stipulation"). More at fore-, ward.

Full definition of forward

Noun

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Agreement; covenant.

From Middle English foreward, from Old English foreweard ("forward, inclined to the front, fore, early, former"), from Proto-Germanic *fura- ("fore-"), *warþaz ("turned"), equivalent to fore + -ward. Cognate with Dutch voorwaarts ("forward"), German vorwärts ("forward").

Adjective

1. Toward the front or at the front.The fire was confined to the forward portion of the store.the forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in a fleet
2. Without customary restraint or modesty.I thought his suggestion that we move in together was rather forward.1999: "Would you think it forward of me to kiss you?" asked Tristran. — Neil Gaiman, Stardust, pg. 44 (2001 Perennial paperback edition).
3. (finance) Expected in the future.The stock price is currently 12 times forward earnings.
4. Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in a bad sense, overready or hasty.
• Bible, Gal. ii. 10Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
• ShakespeareNor do we find him forward to be sounded.
5. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season.The grass is forward, or forward for the season. We have a forward spring.
• ShakespeareThe most forward bud
  Is eaten by the canker ere it blow.

Usage notes

The superlative forwardmost can be used for the "toward or at the front" sense. There does not appear to be a "forwardmore".

Synonyms

• (at the front) anterior, front
• (without customary restraint) bold, fresh, impertinent
• (expected in the future) forecast, predicted

Antonyms

• (at the front) back, posterior, rear
• (without customary restraint) restrained
• (expected in the future) past

Adverb

1. Towards the front or from the front.
   The bus driver told everyone standing up to move forward.
2. In the usual direction of travel.
   After spending an hour stuck in the mud, we could once again move forward.
3. Into the future.
   From this day forward, there will be no more brussels sprouts at the cafeteria.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 8, The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.

Synonyms

• (towards the front) forwards
• (in the usual direction of travel) ahead, forth, on, onward, onwards
• (into the future) forth, forwards, hereon, on, onward, onwards

Antonyms

• (towards the front) back, backward, backwards, rearwards
• (in the usual direction of travel) back, backward, backwards, rearwards, in reverse
• (in the future) backward, backwards, into the past

Derived terms

• forwards adverb
• look forward
• look forward to

Verb

1. (transitive) To advance, promote.
• 1941, W Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage 2004, p. 26:Mary had a suspicion that this plan had been arranged beforehand, for she knew how the lewd old woman loved to forward love affairs ….
2. (transitive) To send (a letter, email etc.) to a third party.I'll be glad to forward your mail to you while you're gone.

Synonyms

• (send (something received) to a third party) pass on

Derived terms

• fast forward
• forwarding address
• freight forwarder

Noun

1. (rugby) one of the eight players (comprising two props, one hooker, two locks, two flankers and one number eight, collectively known as the pack) whose primary task is to gain and maintain possession of the ball (compare back).
2. (soccer) A player on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.
3. (ice hockey) An umbrella term for a centre or winger in ice hockey.
4. (basketball) The small forward or power forward position; two frontcourt positions that are taller than guards but shorter than centers.
5. (nautical) The front part of a vessel.
6. (Internet) An e-mail message that is forwarded to another recipient or recipients; an electronic chain letter.
• 2004, Tamara Stevens, What Is Snail Mail?: The Lost Art of Letterwriting (page 27)When you receive your new pen-pal's email address, do not automatically put it in your address book and use the email Addy to send 'forwards' to. Not every pen pal likes 'forwards', especially jokes and meaningless emails.
• 2009, Joli Ballew, Windows 7 for the Over 50s in Simple StepsThis method attaches the files to a new email, which is fine if you want to create a new email. The only problem with this is that it doesn't work if you'd rather send forwards or replies.
7. Misconstruction of foreword

Synonyms

• (soccer position) attacker, centre forward, striker

Anagrams

• froward