forward

A2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

Also spelled forarder, for’ard, and for’rard

US /ˈfɔɹwəɹd/ UK /ˈfɔːwəd/ See IPA manual

verb adv adj Freq #919

Meanings

1

adv
Toward the front; in the direction ahead.

I like to face forward on trains.
2

adv
Toward the future; ahead in time.

Let's move the meeting forward to next Monday.
3

verb
To send a letter, email, or message on to another person or address.

Could you forward my mail to my new address?
4

adj
Located at or near the front of something.

The fire was confined to the forward part of the store.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · toward the front; in the... forwards

2 adv · toward the future; ahead in... ahead

3 verb · to send a letter, email, or... send on

More anterior front

Opposites

back backward backwards posterior rear rearwards restrained

Word family

Forms forwardedforwardingforwardness

Derived forms carryforwardcentre-forwardfashion-forwardfast-forwardfeed-forwardfeedforwardflashforwardforward-declareforward-leaningforward-lookingforward-lookingnessforward-thinking

Etymology

From Middle English foreward, from Old English foreweard (“condition, bargain, agreement, contract, treaty, assurance”), equivalent to fore- + ward (“ward, keeping”). Cognate with Scots forward (“covenant, compact”), Dutch voorwaarde (“condition, terms, proviso, stipulation”). More at fore-, ward.

foreward Middle English foreweard Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# forward

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, adv, adj
**IPA (US):** ˈfɔɹwəɹd
**IPA (UK):** ˈfɔːwəd
**Frequency rank:** 919

## Meanings
1. Toward the front; in the direction ahead.
2. Toward the future; ahead in time.
3. To send a letter, email, or message on to another person or address.
4. Located at or near the front of something.

## Examples
- I like to face forward on trains.
- Let's move the meeting forward to next Monday.
- Could you forward my mail to my new address?
- The fire was confined to the forward part of the store.

## Synonyms
- anterior
- forwards
- front

## Antonyms
- back
- backward
- backwards
- posterior
- rear
- rearwards
- restrained

## Derived Forms
- carryforward
- centre-forward
- fashion-forward
- fast-forward
- feed-forward
- feedforward
- flashforward
- forward-declare
- forward-leaning
- forward-looking
- forward-lookingness
- forward-thinking

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: foreward
- Root: foreweard
- Affix: -ward - in the direction of

## Etymology
From Middle English foreward, from Old English foreweard (“condition, bargain, agreement, contract, treaty, assurance”), equivalent to fore- + ward (“ward, keeping”). Cognate with Scots forward (“covenant, compact”), Dutch voorwaarde (“condition, terms, proviso, stipulation”). More at fore-, ward.

## AI Etymology
Forward comes from Middle English foreward, from Old English foreweard (“condition, bargain, agreement, contract, treaty, assurance”), equivalent to fore- + ward (“ward, keeping”). Cognate with Scots forward (“covenant, compact”), Dutch voorwaarde (“condition, terms, proviso, stipulation”). More at fore-, ward. In current use, the main senses are “Toward the front; in the direction ahead” and “Toward the future; ahead in time”.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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