carry forward
Britishverb
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accounting to transfer (a balance) to the next page, column, etc
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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
noun
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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.
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Make progress in, advance, as in His successor hoped to carry forward his work . Also see carry on .
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.
Similarly, the group Our Revolution, which was founded as a way to carry forward the grassroots organizing behind Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has thrown its organizing capacity behind Jackson’s candidacy.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
About $7 million in Green Dot/Locke-specific grants would not carry forward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
This means, for example, they can deduct the cost of investment in developing projects against tax and carry forward those credits against future profits.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
For those of us defending free speech, it is a legacy we carry forward with gratitude.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
This was the message we needed to carry forward.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.