forth
1 Americanadverb
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onward or outward in place or space; forward.
to come forth; go forth.
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onward in time, in order, or in a series.
from that day forth.
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out, as from concealment or inaction; into view or consideration.
The author's true point comes forth midway through the book.
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away, as from a place or country.
to journey forth.
preposition
noun
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Firth of, an arm of the North Sea, in SE Scotland: estuary of Forth River. 48 miles (77 km) long.
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a river in S central Scotland, flowing E into the Firth of Forth. 116 miles (187 km) long.
adverb
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forward in place, time, order, or degree
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out, as from concealment, seclusion, or inaction
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away, as from a place or country
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and so on; et cetera
preposition
noun
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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)
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a river in S Scotland, flowing generally east to the Firth of Forth. Length: about 104 km (65 miles)
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.
It also takes the mature tack, as it moves back and forth in time, of portraying characters whose life dreams haven’t quite worked out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
You do not have to pass a security check when you pass back and forth between L.A. and Orange County.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Americans spend most of their money on services: dining, recreation, entertainment, banking, healthcare and so forth.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
“When you’re pitching and you’re in it, there’s back and forth, there’s more dialogue that happens about, ‘What is the game ultimately telling you?’
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
She looked from her father to the king, back and forth, her tongue whipping out again and again.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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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.