forth
adverb
onward or outward in place or space; forward.
forth
1 American
[fawrth, fohrth]
/ fɔrθ, foʊrθ /
adverb
-
onward or outward in place or space; forward.
to come forth; go forth.
-
onward in time, in order, or in a series.
from that day forth.
-
out, as from concealment or inaction; into view or consideration.
The author's true point comes forth midway through the book.
-
away, as from a place or country.
to journey forth.
preposition
Forth
2
American
[fawrth, fohrth]
/ fɔrθ, foʊrθ /
noun
-
Firth of, an arm of the North Sea, in SE Scotland: estuary of Forth River. 48 miles (77 km) long.
-
a river in S central Scotland, flowing E into the Firth of Forth. 116 miles (187 km) long.
forth
1
British
/ fɔːθ /
adverb
-
forward in place, time, order, or degree
-
out, as from concealment, seclusion, or inaction
-
away, as from a place or country
-
and so on; et cetera
preposition
Forth
2
British
/ fɔːθ /
noun
-
an inlet of the North Sea in SE Scotland: spanned by a cantilever railway bridge 1600 m (almost exactly 1 mile) long (1889), and by a road bridge (1964)
-
a river in S Scotland, flowing generally east to the Firth of Forth. Length: about 104 km (65 miles)
forth
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of forth
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German fort; akin to further
Explanation
Forth means "from now on." If you declare that from today forth, you'll pursue your dream of becoming a rodeo clown, it means you'll work every day to make it happen. The adverb forth describes pushing forward, either literally or in time. When something goes forth, it moves into view or forward. In spring, flowers shoot forth from the ground. You have probably heard the expression and so forth, which like and so on means whatever else. Don't confuse forth with fourth, which sounds the same but means "number four in a series."
Vocabulary lists containing forth
"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It still rankles, apparently: At that “legal forum” in May 2025 in St. Petersburg, Konstantin Chuychenko, the Russian minister of justice held forth on the subject.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The U.S. business environment has always been underpinned by population increase—more workers, so more people earning wages, so more money to spend on cars and clothes and so forth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
She said Wednesday she plans to work with the new insurance commissioner next year to bring forth telematics either through legislation or department regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The carriages then begin moving again, but within seconds, they can be seen slowly rolling back and forth, before coming to a standstill.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
“We don’t have a choice,” I said, already pacing back and forth as I willed myself to think fast.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Wilson collaborated with John Legend and Ravi Coltrane, and released her last album, the Billie Holiday-rooted “Coming Forth by Day,” in 2015.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
He received end of life care at the prison until his health deteriorated and he was transferred to Forth Valley Hospital on 7 February.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
High wind warnings are in place for the Forth Road Bridge and Tyne Bridge, while the Tay Road Bridge is only open to cars with a speed limit of 30mph.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
Members of the Forth in Atlanta, meanwhile, can hang out by the rooftop pool and join in Pilates classes before enjoying a priority reservation at buzzy Il Premio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
A red and white banner with the school’s motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve,” hung from the ceiling.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
