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• forth
  forth

  adverb

  onward or outward in place or space; forward.
• Forth
  Forth

  noun

  Firth of, an arm of the North Sea, in SE Scotland: estuary of Forth River. 48 miles (77 km) long.

forth

¹ American  

[fawrth, fohrth] / fɔrθ, foʊrθ /

adverb

1. onward or outward in place or space; forward.

   to come forth; go forth.

2. onward in time, in order, or in a series.

   from that day forth.

3. out, as from concealment or inaction; into view or consideration.

   The author's true point comes forth midway through the book.

4. away, as from a place or country.

   to journey forth.

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preposition

1. Archaic. out of; forth from.

Forth ² American  

[fawrth, fohrth] / fɔrθ, foʊrθ /

noun

1. Firth of, an arm of the North Sea, in SE Scotland: estuary of Forth River. 48 miles (77 km) long.

2. a river in S central Scotland, flowing E into the Firth of Forth. 116 miles (187 km) long.

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forth ¹ British  

/ fɔːθ /

adverb

1. forward in place, time, order, or degree

2. out, as from concealment, seclusion, or inaction

3. away, as from a place or country

4. and so on; et cetera

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preposition

1. archaic out of; away from

Forth ² British  

/ fɔːθ /

noun

1. an inlet of the North Sea in SE Scotland: spanned by a cantilever railway bridge 1600 m (almost exactly 1 mile) long (1889), and by a road bridge (1964)

2. a river in S Scotland, flowing generally east to the Firth of Forth. Length: about 104 km (65 miles)

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forth Idioms  

1. see and so forth; back and forth; bring forth; hold forth; put forth; set forth.

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Etymology

Origin of forth

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German fort; akin to further

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Explanation

Forth means "from now on." If you declare that from today forth, you'll pursue your dream of becoming a rodeo clown, it means you'll work every day to make it happen. The adverb forth describes pushing forward, either literally or in time. When something goes forth, it moves into view or forward. In spring, flowers shoot forth from the ground. You have probably heard the expression and so forth, which like and so on means whatever else. Don't confuse forth with fourth, which sounds the same but means "number four in a series."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forth Forth

“It’s not only for employees going back and forth through the port complex,” Elise Swanson, president of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Beneath the battle for aerial superiority, unmanned ground vehicles scurry back and forth delivering supplies, evacuating the wounded or, increasingly, leading the charge against the enemy.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

For a time, Quaid and Savoie were traveling back and forth between Los Angeles and Nashville, but following the 2025 California wildfires, they decided to pull the plug on life on the West Coast.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Where it gets even more complicated is that there are some goods that go back and forth across the border multiple times," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Kiki pushed a stroller back and forth, back and forth, like if she stopped moving, something terrible would happen.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The 54-year-old was referred to NHS Forth Valley's programme by her gynaecologist because she needs surgery, but her weight was too high for it to go ahead safely.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“We’ve not had to cancel a game in two years,” said John Amis, chair at the Bass Rock Cricket Club, which plays across from Elie on the southern side of the Firth of Forth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

NatureScot said the number of burrows occupied by the seabirds on the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth had fallen by 30% in the last two years.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Wilson collaborated with John Legend and Ravi Coltrane, and released her last album, the Billie Holiday-rooted “Coming Forth by Day,” in 2015.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Then borrowing from the school’s motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve,” I added: “If you elect me I will go forth to serve all of you.”

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

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