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forward

[fawr-werd]
See more synonyms for forward on Thesaurus.com
adverb Also forwards (for defs 1, 2)
  1. toward or at a place, point, or time in advance; onward; ahead: to move forward; from this day forward; to look forward.
  2. toward the front: Let's move forward so we can hear better.
  3. into view or consideration; out; forth: He brought forward several good suggestions.
  4. toward the bow or front of a vessel or aircraft.
  5. ahead(defs 4, 5).
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adjective
  1. directed toward a point in advance; moving ahead; onward: a forward motion.
  2. being in a condition of advancement; well-advanced: It was quite forward in the season when we finished our planting.
  3. ready, prompt, or eager.
  4. presumptuous, impertinent, or bold: a rude, forward child.
  5. situated in the front or forepart: the forward part of the ship.
  6. of or relating to the future; for the future or forward delivery: forward buying; a forward price.
  7. lying ahead or to the front: Take the forward path.
  8. radical or extreme, as persons or opinions: the forward trend in certain liberal thought.
  9. standing out from others (sometimes used in combination):fashion-forward celebrities; an herb with a strong, forward flavor.
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noun
  1. Sports.
    1. a player stationed in advance of others on a team.
    2. Football.a lineman.
    3. Basketball.either of two players stationed in the forecourt.
  2. Finance. something bought, as a security, for future delivery.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to send forward; transmit, especially to a new address: to forward a letter.
  2. to advance or help onward; promote: The training will help to forward your career.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to advance or play a cassette, digital recording, slide projector, etc., in the forward direction: Forward through the first few ballads to get to the dance tracks on this album.
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Origin of forward

before 900; Middle English; Old English for(e)weard. See fore1, -ward
Related formsfor·ward·a·ble, adjectivefor·ward·ly, adverbo·ver·for·ward, adjectiveo·ver·for·ward·ly, adverbo·ver·for·ward·ness, nounre·for·ward, verb (used with object)
Can be confusedforeword forward forwards froward

Synonyms

See more synonyms for forward on Thesaurus.com
8. willing, earnest, zealous. 9. assuming, impudent. 11. early, preliminary, future, premature. 13. unconventional, progressive. 18. further, foster.

Synonym study

1. Forward, onward both indicate a direction toward the front or a movement in a frontward direction. Forward applies to any movement toward what is or is conceived to be the front or a goal: to face forward; to move forward in the aisles. Onward applies to any movement in continuance of a course: to march onward toward a goal. 9. See bold.

Antonyms

6. backward.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for forward

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • We are like men in a subterranean cave, so chained that they can look only forward to the entrance.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • And jest when I was lookin' forward to luxury and palaces in England, and everything so grand!

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • Mr Clayton was pushing me forward, and urging a dagger into my hand.

  • She drew him forward a little, and her hand touched his as she did so.

  • We learn nothing, we take no forward step, except as we are whipped to it by anguish.

British Dictionary definitions for forward

forward

adjective
  1. directed or moving ahead
  2. lying or situated in or near the front part of something
  3. presumptuous, pert, or impudenta forward remark
  4. well developed or advanced, esp in physical, material, or intellectual growth or developmentforward ideas
  5. archaic (often postpositive) ready, eager, or willing
    1. of or relating to the future or favouring change; progressive
    2. (in combination)forward-looking
  7. finance realting to fulfilment at a future date
  8. NZ (of an animal) in good condition
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noun
    1. an email that has been sent to one recipient and then forwarded to another
    2. (in American football) a lineman
  2. an attacking player in any of various sports, such as soccer, hockey, or basketball
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adverb
  1. a variant of forwards
  2. (ˈfɔːwəd, nautical history ˈfɒrəd) towards the front or bow of an aircraft or ship
  3. into prominence or a position of being subject to public scrutiny; out; forththe witness came forward
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verb (tr)
  1. to send forward or pass on to an ultimate destinationthe letter was forwarded from a previous address
  2. to advance, help, or promoteto forward one's career
  3. bookbinding to prepare (a book) for the finisher
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Derived Formsforwardly, adverb

Word Origin

Old English foreweard
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for forward

adv.

Old English forewearde "toward the front;" see fore + -ward. Adjectival sense of "early" is from 1520s; that of "presumptuous" is attested from 1560s.

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v.

1590s, "to help push forward," from forward (adv.). Meaning "to send (a letter, etc.) on to another destination" is from 1757. Related: Forwarded; forwarding.

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n.

Old English, "the fore or front part" of something; see forward (adv.). The position in football so called since 1879.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with forward

forward

see backward and forward; carry forward; come forward; from this day forward; know like a book (backwards and forwards); look forward; put forward; put one's best foot forward; set forward.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.