forthwith
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of forthwith
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at forth, with
Explanation
Forthwith is a old-fashioned, fancy way to say "immediately." An extremely obnoxious restaurant patron might demand, "Waiter, bring my soup forthwith!" You're most likely to find the word forthwith in a book or movie set in the past, or in a legal document. Either way, it means "without delay." If you're summoned to the principal's office forthwith, you probably shouldn't stop to chat with your friends on the way. The meaning of this adverb evolved from an earlier sense of "together" or "at the same time," as in "going forth with another person."
Vocabulary lists containing forthwith
Immediately
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Immediately
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Paradise
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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.
“He shall be released forthwith, if not incarcerated in any other case,” the order concluded.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024
"We are therefore at liberty to exercise our right to withdraw our labour forthwith," Murithi Nyagah, the general secretary of KALPA, said in a statement.
From Reuters • Nov. 4, 2022
Predictably, a judge swiftly ruled in Mr. Frosh’s favor and ordered Sheriff Gahler to turn over all relevant evidence forthwith.
From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2022
Judge Penny ruled the singer's care be turned over to Mr Zabel "forthwith", saying it was "in the best interest of the conservatee".
From BBC • Sep. 30, 2021
He wanted the Pococks to move down to Seattle forthwith, where he would provide them with a shop on campus—a dry shop on terra firma—in which to build the fleet.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
