forward definition

English forward definition

Alternative forms

• foreward (obsolete)
• forrard, forrad, forred (dialect or nautical)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔː.wəd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɹ.wɚd/, (nonstandard) /ˈfoʊ.wɚd/, (dated) /ˈfɔɹɚd/
• (General Australian, Estuary English, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈfoːwəd/
• (New Zealand, unstressed) IPA^(key): /foːd/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d, -oʊ(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d, -ɔɹə(ɹ)d, -ɔː(ɹ)d
• Homophone: foreword
• Hyphenation: for‧ward

Etymology 1

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

forward (comparative more forward, superlative most forward)

1. Situated toward or at the front of something.

   The fire was confined to the forward portion of the store.

   the forward gun in a ship, the forward ship in a fleet

   1. (of troops, guns etc.) Situated toward or near the enemy lines.

      The forward battalion took a hammering.

2. Acting in or pertaining to the direction in which someone or something is facing.

   My forward vision is fine, but my peripheral vision is poor.

3. Acting in or pertaining to the direction of travel or movement.

   forward motion, forward thrust, forward momentum

4. (figuratively) Moving in the desired direction of progress.

   This is an important forward step for the country.

5. Having the usual order or sequence.

   The front of the fire engine has backward writing, that can be read in a mirror, as well as forward writing.

6. (finance, commerce) Expected or scheduled to take place in the future.

   The stock price is currently 12 times forward earnings.

   The price for forward delivery is presently higher than the spot price.

7. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; precocious.

   These students are very forward in their learning.

   The grass is forward, or forward for the season. We have a forward spring.

   • c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

     The most forward bud / Is eaten by the canker ere it blow.

8. Without customary restraint or modesty; bold, cheeky, pert, presumptuous or pushy.

   She is a very forward young lady, not afraid to speak her mind.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:

     […] the lady conceived the same desires with himself, and was on her side contriving how to give the captain proper encouragement, without appearing too forward; for she was a strict observer of all rules of decorum.

   • 1999:, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, pg. 44 (2001 Perennial paperback edition)

     "Would you think it forward of me to kiss you?" asked Tristran.

9. (obsolete) Ready; prompt; ardently inclined; in a bad sense, eager or hasty. [to 19th century]
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Galatians 2:10:

     Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene i]:

     Nor do we find him forward to be sounded.

Usage notes

• The superlative forwardmost can be used for the "toward or at the front" sense. There does not appear to be a forwardmore. The comparative forwarder and superlative forwardest exist for certain senses, but are relatively uncommon.

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

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

Translations

Adverb

forward (comparative further forward, superlative furthest forward)

1. At, near or towards the front of something.

   She was sitting well forward in the railway carriage.

   The bus driver told everyone standing up to move forward.

   • 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, OCLC 7780546; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], OCLC 2666860, page 0016:

     A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.

   1. (nautical) At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).
      • 1887, H. Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure‎^[1]:

        Most of the men are sleeping forward, for it is near midnight, but a stout swarthy Arab, Mahomed by name, stands at the tiller, lazily steering by the stars.

2. In the direction in which someone or something is facing.

   I leant forward to get a better look.

   The grandfather clock toppled forward and crashed to the ground.

3. In the desired or usual direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively; onwards.

   After spending an hour stuck in the mud, we could once again move forward.

   Wind the film forward a few frames.

   Don't forget to put the clocks forward by one hour tonight!

   We need to move this project forward.

4. So that front and back are in the usual orientation.

   Don't wear your baseball cap backward; turn it forward.

5. In the usual order or sequence.

   A palindrome reads the same backward as forward.

6. Into the future.

   From this day forward, there will be no more brussels sprouts at the cafeteria.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698:

     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.

7. To an earlier point in time. See also bring forward.

   The meeting has been moved forward an hour. It was at 3 o'clock; now it's at 2 o'clock.

Synonyms

• (towards the front): forwards
• (in the usual direction of progress): 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 progress): back, backward, backwards, rearwards, in reverse
• (into the future): backward, backwards, into the past
• (earlier in time): back

Hyponyms

• straightforward

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

forward (third-person singular simple present forwards, present participle forwarding, simple past and past participle forwarded)

1. (transitive) To advance, promote.

   He did all he could to forward the interests of the school.

   • 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.) on to a third party.

   I'll be glad to forward your mail to you while you're gone.

3. (transitive, bookbinding) To assemble (a book) by sewing sections, attaching cover boards, and so on.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

Descendants

• Dutch: forwarden

Translations

Noun

forward (plural forwards)

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.

   Synonyms: attacker, centre forward, striker

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 Steps:

     This 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. (finance) A direct agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specific point in the future; distinguished from a futures contract in that the latter is standardized and traded on an exchange.

   Synonym: forward contract

8. Misconstruction of foreword (“preface or introduction”).

Translations

Etymology 2

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

Noun

forward (plural forwards)

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Agreement; covenant.

References

• forward at OneLook Dictionary Search.
• forward in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Warford, froward

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Czech forward definition

Alternative forms

• forvard

Etymology

Borrowed from English forward.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈforvart/
• Hyphenation: for‧ward

Noun

forward m anim

1. (soccer, ice hockey) forward
   • 2015 September 27, “Borussia Dortmund - SV Darmstadt 2:2”, in eurofotbal.cz‎^[2]:

     Gabonský forward byl nejnebezpečnějším hráčem v černožlutém dresu.

     The Gabonese forward was the best player in the black and yellow shirt.

Declension

Derived terms

• forwardka

Noun

forward m inan

1. (soccer, ice hockey) forward line

   Synonyms: útok, ofenziva

   Antonym: obrana

   • 2012 July 5, “Vědě, Alma mater, Jičínu”, in Jičínský deník.cz‎^[3], page ...:

     V tenise hrál ve finále „Pardubické juniorky", v basketbale byl jedním z nejlepších tvořivých hráčů Jičína a ve fotbale hrál ve forwardu mnohdy lépe než útočníci jeho milované Sparty.

     In tennis he played the final of "Pardubická juniorka" tournament, in basketball he was one of the most creative players of Jičín and in football he played in the forward line often better than attackers of his beloved Sparta.

2. (business) forward contract

   Synonym: forwardový kontrakt

   • 2006, “Forwardy”, in Řízení obchodních bank: vybrané kapitoly‎^[4], page 117:

     Forwardy jsou pevně sjednané kontrakty na budoucí nákup nebo prodej určitého finančního instrumentu.

     Forward contracts are firmly negotiated contracts on a future purchase or sale of a certain financial instrument.

Declension

Derived terms

• forwardový

Further reading

• forward in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957

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Middle English forward definition

Etymology 1

Adjective

forward

1. Alternative form of foreward

Adverb

forward

1. Alternative form of foreward

Etymology 2

Noun

forward (plural forwards)

1. Alternative form of foreward

Etymology 3

Noun

forward (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of forwird