Forward

/ˈfɔːwəd/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb

adj, adv, name, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: One of the eight players (comprising two props, one hooker, two locks, two flankers and one number eight, collectively known as the pack) whose primary task is to gain and maintain possession of the ball (compare back).
  • Grammar: forward is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: a bit previous, accelerate, acculturate, acquiescent.
  • Useful contrasts: antonym(s) of, back, posterior.
  • Usage evidence: I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

How to use "forward"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "forward" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "forward" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "forward" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "forward" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "forward" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "a bit previous" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "forward", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One of the eight players (comprising two props, one hooker, two locks, two flankers and one number eight, collectively known as the pack) whose primary task is to gain and maintain possession of the ball (compare back).
  2. 2
    Agreement; covenant. dialectal, obsolete
  3. 3
    a position on a basketball, soccer, or hockey team wordnet
  4. 4
    A player on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.
  5. 5
    the person who plays the position of forward in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    An umbrella term for a centre or winger in ice hockey.
  2. 7
    The small forward or power forward position; two frontcourt positions that are taller than guards but shorter than centers.
  3. 8
    The front part of a vessel.
  4. 9
    An e-mail message that is forwarded to another recipient or recipients; an electronic chain letter. Internet

    "When you receive your new pen-pal's email address, do not automatically put it in your address book and use the email Addy to send 'forwards' to. Not every pen pal likes 'forwards', especially jokes and meaningless emails."

  5. 10
    A direct agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specific point in the future; distinguished from a futures contract in that the latter is standardized and traded on an exchange.
  6. 11
    Misspelling of foreword (“preface or introduction”). alt-of, misspelling
Verb
  1. 1
    To advance, promote. transitive

    "He did all he could to forward the interests of the school."

  2. 2
    send or ship onward from an intermediate post or station in transit wordnet
  3. 3
    To send (a letter, email etc.) on to a third party. transitive

    "I'll be glad to forward your mail to you while you're gone."

  4. 4
    To assemble (a book) by sewing sections, attaching cover boards, and so on. transitive
  5. 5
    To arrive, come. Caribbean, intransitive
Adjective
  1. 1
    Situated toward or at the front of something. not-comparable

    "The fire was confined to the forward portion of the store."

  2. 2
    Situated toward or at the front of something.; Situated toward or near the enemy lines. not-comparable

    "The forward battalion took a hammering."

  3. 3
    Acting in or pertaining to the direction in which someone or something is facing. not-comparable

    "My forward vision is fine, but my peripheral vision is poor."

  4. 4
    Acting in or pertaining to the direction of travel or movement. not-comparable

    "forward motion, forward thrust, forward momentum"

  5. 5
    Moving in the desired direction of progress. figuratively, not-comparable

    "This is an important forward step for the country."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    Having the usual order or sequence. not-comparable

    "The front of the fire engine has backward writing, that can be read in a mirror, as well as forward writing."

  2. 7
    Expected or scheduled to take place in the future. not-comparable

    "The stock price is currently 12 times forward earnings."

  3. 8
    Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; precocious. not-comparable

    "These students are very forward in their learning."

  4. 9
    Without customary restraint or modesty; bold, cheeky, pert, presumptuous or pushy. not-comparable

    "She is a very forward young lady, not afraid to speak her mind."

  5. 10
    Prominent, emphasized (or, in combinations, emphasizing). not-comparable

    "Pecan Porter […] beer is malty and rich with a very forward flavor of pecans with hints of molasses and burnt caramel and has a very great finish."

  6. 11
    Ready; prompt; ardently inclined; in a bad sense, eager or hasty. not-comparable, obsolete

    "Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do."

Adjective
  1. 1
    at or near or directed toward the front wordnet
  2. 2
    of the transmission gear causing forward movement in a motor vehicle wordnet
  3. 3
    used of temperament or behavior; lacking restraint or modesty wordnet
  4. 4
    moving forward wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    At, near or towards the front of something. not-comparable

    "She was sitting well forward in the railway carriage."

  2. 2
    At, near or towards the front of something.; At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel). not-comparable

    "Most of the men are sleeping forward, for it is near midnight, but a stout swarthy Arab, Mahomed by name, stands at the tiller, lazily steering by the stars."

  3. 3
    In the direction in which someone or something is facing. not-comparable

    "I leant forward to get a better look."

  4. 4
    In the desired or usual direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively; onwards. not-comparable

    "After spending an hour stuck in the mud, we could once again move forward."

  5. 5
    So that front and back are in the usual orientation. not-comparable

    "Don't wear your baseball cap backward; turn it forward."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    In the usual order or sequence. not-comparable

    "A palindrome reads the same backward as forward."

  2. 7
    Into the future. not-comparable

    "From this day forward, there will be no more brussels sprouts at the cafeteria."

  3. 8
    To an earlier point in time. See also bring forward. not-comparable

    "The meeting has been moved forward an hour. It was at 3 o'clock; now it's at 2 o'clock."

Adverb
  1. 1
    in a forward direction wordnet
  2. 2
    at or to or toward the front; forward wordnet
  3. 3
    toward the future; forward in time wordnet
  4. 4
    forward in time or order or degree wordnet
  5. 5
    near or toward the bow of a ship or cockpit of a plane wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A place name:; A hamlet and former village in the Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan, Canada. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A place name:; A township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A place name:; A township in Butler County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A place name:; An unincorporated community in the town of Perry, Dane County, Wisconsin, taken from the Wisconsin state motto. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
a bit previousaccelerateacculturateacquiescentact foractuate

Antonyms

antonym(s) ofbackposteriorrear

Example

"I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter."

Common questions

What does "forward" mean?

One of the eight players (comprising two props, one hooker, two locks, two flankers and one number eight, collectively known as the pack) whose primary task is to gain and maintain possession of the ball (compare back).

What is a synonym for "forward"?

Common synonyms include: a bit previous, accelerate, acculturate, acquiescent, act for, actuate.

How do you use "forward" in a sentence?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

How do you pronounce "forward"?

Pronounced /ˈfɔːwəd/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English foreward, from Old English foreweard (“forward, inclined to the front, fore, early, former”), from Proto-Germanic *fura- (“fore-”), *warþaz (“turned”), equivalent to fore + -ward. Cognate with Dutch voorwaarts (“forward”), German vorwärts (“forward”).

Etymology 2

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.

More for "forward"

Synonyms

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