forward
Americanadverb
-
toward or at a place, point, or time in advance; onward; ahead.
to move forward;
from this day forward;
to look forward.
-
toward the front.
Let's move forward so we can hear better.
-
into view or consideration; out; forth.
He brought forward several good suggestions.
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toward the bow or front of a vessel or aircraft.
adjective
-
directed toward a point in advance; moving ahead; onward.
The chest-high snow made forward motion almost impossible.
- Antonyms:
- backward
-
being in a condition of advancement; well-advanced.
It was quite forward in the season when we finished our planting.
-
presumptuous, impertinent, or bold.
That girl is a rude, forward child.
-
situated in the front or forepart.
The bow is the forward part of the ship.
-
of or relating to the future; for the future or forward delivery.
In August the hog packer was offering a forward price of $1.81/kg for hogs delivered in September.
- Synonyms:
- premature, future, preliminary, early
-
lying ahead or to the front.
Take the forward path.
-
radical or extreme, as persons or opinions.
The group represents a forward trend in liberal thought.
- Synonyms:
- progressive, unconventional
-
standing out from others (sometimes used in combination).
These fashion-forward celebrities set the trends for the rest of us.
Sage is an herb with a strong, forward flavor.
-
ready, prompt, or eager.
noun
-
forwards
plural
-
Sports.
-
a player stationed in advance of others on a team.
-
Football. a lineman.
-
Basketball. either of two players stationed in the forecourt.
-
-
Finance. something bought, as a security, for future delivery.
verb (used with object)
-
forwards,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forwarded,
past participle, past
-
forwarding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
forwards,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forwarded,
past participle, past
-
forwarding
present participle
verb phrase
adjective
-
directed or moving ahead
-
lying or situated in or near the front part of something
-
presumptuous, pert, or impudent
a forward remark
-
well developed or advanced, esp in physical, material, or intellectual growth or development
forward ideas
-
archaic (often postpositive) ready, eager, or willing
-
-
of or relating to the future or favouring change; progressive
-
( in combination )
forward-looking
-
-
finance realting to fulfilment at a future date
-
(of an animal) in good condition
noun
-
-
an email that has been sent to one recipient and then forwarded to another
-
(in American football) a lineman
-
-
an attacking player in any of various sports, such as soccer, hockey, or basketball
adverb
-
a variant of forwards
-
towards the front or bow of an aircraft or ship
-
into prominence or a position of being subject to public scrutiny; out; forth
the witness came forward
verb
-
to send forward or pass on to an ultimate destination
the letter was forwarded from a previous address
-
to advance, help, or promote
to forward one's career
-
bookbinding to prepare (a book) for the finisher
Synonym Usage
Forward, onward both indicate a direction toward the front or a movement in a frontward direction. Forward applies to any movement toward what is or is conceived to be the front or a goal: to face forward; to move forward in the aisles. Onward applies to any movement in continuance of a course: to march onward toward a goal. See bold.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overforwardnessnoun
-
reforwardverb (used with object)
-
forwardableadjective
-
overforwardadjective
-
forwardlyadverb
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overforwardlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
forwardsimple
-
forwardssimple
-
have forwardedperfect
-
has forwardedperfect
-
am forwardingprogressive
-
are forwardingprogressive
-
is forwardingprogressive
-
have been forwardingperfect progressive
-
has been forwardingperfect progressive
Past
-
forwardedsimple
-
had forwardedperfect
-
was forwardingprogressive
-
were forwardingprogressive
-
had been forwardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of forward
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English for(e)weard; see fore 1, -ward
Explanation
Forward is the direction ahead of you, or toward the front of something. It can also be a position on a basketball, soccer, or hockey team. Forward can be a direction of either space or time, and also implies progress. A forward-thinking person thinks about what will happen in the future. If you forward an email, you send it on to a new recipient. But if you forward a cause, that means you helped propel it to success. If you’re at a bar and someone tells you you’re being awfully forward, you’re probably coming on too strong.
Vocabulary lists containing forward
Defense, Dribble, and Dunk: Basketball Lingo
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Narrative Writing, List 4
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"LAFFF"
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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:
The question is whether it can actually do it again moving forward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
This was the elegant Netherlands forward at his best, not just by making two goals, but with his all-round performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Some executives and government officials have suggested a ban on such Chinese open models, suggesting their leaps forward have been driven by a practice called “distillation,” using massive volumes of outputs from advanced U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Now, having learned about investing, retirement accounts, taxes and the power of compounding, it’s incredibly comforting to know that I have a path forward.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
The tallest of the white-clad figures stepped forward and threw back his hood.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The main worry from supporters is that they have let two forwards go who play on the left wing and brought in just one to replace them.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
His teams have often relied on forwards changing positions, dropping towards the ball and then attacking the space created when opponents are drawn out.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The sight of the centre-backs standing tall, studs on the ball, waiting for the opposition forwards to become impatient before closing them down felt unnatural but it was purposeful.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
When the pass finds one of these forwards, they have then been able to play first-time balls into the wide players in space.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
I try names in different combinations: mine and his, his and Evie’s, mine and Evie’s, all three of us together, forwards and backwards.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
This “where and when am I” information gets forwarded to the lateral septum.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
That’s the view put forwarded by Deutsche Bank strategist Michael Hseuh, who reiterated the bank’s year-end call for gold to reach $4,600.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
“I forwarded it to them and said: ‘Geez, Chad, that’s impressive,’” Howell said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
More recently, she forwarded me a report from the Irish Times about Irish students deciding not to apply for the J1 visa this year, which allows them to work summer jobs in the U.S.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
“Your new address. Anonymous. Anything sent to that address will be privately forwarded here to the Park.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Many order them via friends in countries where they are legally obtainable - or by using forwarding services in neighbouring countries.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
People were fast forwarding through all the commercials because they were watching it on TiVo.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
They found evidence that ChatGPT appeared to be “using forwarding looking information despite being asked not to.”
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
RXO is a large third-party logistics firm, or 3PL, brokering truck transportation, freight forwarding, and last-mile delivery for customers in an asset-light business model.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
First, I finish forwarding all my emails from my old account.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
