forthwith

C2+ Topic:Time

US /fɔrθˈwɪθ/ UK /fɔːθˈwɪð/ See IPA manual

adv

Meanings

1

adv
immediately; without delay

The order was to evacuate the building forthwith.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · immediately; without delay immediately instantly directly promptly straightawayat onceforthright

Opposites

later eventually slowly gradually

Etymology

From Middle English forthwith, an alteration of earlier forth with ('along with, at the same time'), from Old English forþ ('forth') + with ('with, against').

forþ Old English wiþ Old English

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Time

# forthwith

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** fɔrθˈwɪθ
**IPA (UK):** fɔːθˈwɪð

## Meanings
1. immediately; without delay

## Examples
- The order was to evacuate the building forthwith.

## Synonyms
- immediately
- instantly
- directly
- promptly
- straightaway
- at once
- forthright

## Antonyms
- later
- eventually
- slowly
- gradually

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: forþ
- Root: wiþ

## Etymology
From Middle English forthwith, an alteration of earlier forth with ('along with, at the same time'), from Old English forþ ('forth') + with ('with, against').

## AI Etymology
Forthwith comes from Middle English forthwith, an alteration of earlier forth with ('along with, at the same time'), from Old English forþ ('forth') + with ('with, against'). Morphologically, the form is compositional, with the named elements combining to produce the modern spelling and sense. In present use, it is used as an adverb meaning "immediately; without delay", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The named historical forms include Old English forþ and Old English wiþ, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood is marked by immediately, instantly, directly, and promptly on one side and contrasts such as later, eventually, and slowly on the other, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Time

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