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
Another multiyear situation to manage is any losses that can carry forward, like rental losses or capital losses.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026
"The candidates I support are those whom I believe will carry forward the spirit of our movement," said Ban, who worked to encourage young people to vote.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
More than anything, I hoped this was what they’d carry forward into the future—the ease, the sense of community, the encouragement to speak and be heard.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
