foreword
Americannoun
-
forewords
plural
noun
Synonym Usage
See introduction.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of foreword
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.
Vocabulary lists containing foreword
Power Prefix: fore-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Book Words for Book Worms
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: fore-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
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
It therefore came as something of a surprise when the former first minister chose to criticise the current first minister in the new foreword to her autobiography.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The book, co-authored by Darren Grubb and Johnny Russo, featured a foreword by Letterman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“George Martin: The Scores,” which will be published in April and feature a foreword by Paul McCartney, highlights Martin’s singular influence in making their corpus a reality for the ages.
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 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
Together the forewords underscore a larger point: Golding is not easily assimilated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
Bestselling authors Leigh Bardugo, Jerry Craft and Rainbow Rowell are contributing forewords to new editions of three famed Marvel Comics series.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2023
Their separate forewords to the committee’s final report, released Thursday, tell what united these unlikely partners.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 26, 2022
If he were, a good many "forewords" would, I imagine, never have been written.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, November 28, 1917 by Various
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.
