carry forward

British  

verb

1. accounting to transfer (a balance) to the next page, column, etc

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): carry over.  tax accounting to apply (a legally permitted credit, esp an operating loss) to the taxable income of following years to ease the overall tax burden

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noun

1. Also called: carry-over.  tax accounting an amount carried forward

carry forward Idioms  

1. Also, carry over . Transfer a bookkeeping entry to the next column, page, another account, or the next accounting period, as in Let's carry forward this loss to the next quarter for a saving in taxes , or She made an error in carrying over this column . The first term dates from the first half of the 1800s; the variant dates from the mid-1700s.

2. Make progress in, advance, as in His successor hoped to carry forward his work . Also see carry on .

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Example Sentences

And later this month, investors will turn to the “January barometer,” another indicator built around the idea that market strength or weakness early in the year can carry forward.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 3, 2026

Prime Minister Peres surged to a huge lead in the polls while pledging to carry forward Rabin’s legacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

"I hope that my daughter's generation can continue to inherit, carry forward, and spread it so that more people can know about it," she added.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

"He will be deeply missed, but his spirit will remain with us in the love he shared and the memories we will carry forward."

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

And yet this was the essence of that cultural heritage which the Communist party had sworn to carry forward, whole and intact, into the future.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• carry over