foreword

American  

[fawr-wurd, -werd, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌwɜrd, -wərd, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

• forewords
  plural

1. a short introductory statement in a published work, as a book, especially when written by someone other than the author.

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foreword British  

/ ˈfɔːˌwɜːd /

noun

1. an introductory statement to a book

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Synonym Usage

See introduction.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forewords
  plural

Etymology

Origin of foreword

First recorded in 1835–45; fore- + word

Explanation

Many students tend to skip the foreword at the beginning of a long novel, or go back and read it later. Use the noun foreword for an introduction that comes at the start of a book. A foreword is usually written by someone other than the author and it gives information about the critical reception of the book, personal history of the author, or some other extra detail of interest to the reader. The word foreword combines fore, "before, or first" and word, and it's closely connected to the German word for "preface," Vorwort.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foreword forewords

He wrote the foreword for the scholarly book “California Grizzly” and from his Montana home keeps an eye on the well-being of his home state’s precariously small colony of grizzlies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

In 2021 he co-authored a book, “Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide,” with a foreword by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The book, co-authored by Darren Grubb and Johnny Russo, featured a foreword by Letterman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Prof Harvey is a board member of the Ireland's Future organisation and has written the foreword to the A United Ireland report.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

My godfather, Alex Haley, bequeathed me the opportunity to write this foreword to my father’s autobiography.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Harris himself has contributed to Pickering's book - published by Manchester University Press - writing one of four forewords along with Martin Fry, Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher along with a separate chapter.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Daughters Jodi Serling and Anne Serling each contributed brief forewords.

From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2024

Barack Obama and George W. Bush were so supportive that they wrote forewords for them.

From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022

Gen. Jones said earlier this month that eliminating the foreword was appropriate because an official decision to include one had never been made and forewords are typically included only in official book-length Army publications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2018

Only one of my books is without a preface,—though some of them are disguised as notes, or forewords, or afterwords,—and I hereby apologize for the acephalous condition of that volume.

From Woven with the Ship A Novel of 1865 by Cyrus Townsend Brady

Related Words

• preamble
• preface
• prologue