forth

1 of 2

adverb

ˈfȯrth 

1

: onward in time, place, or order : forward

from that day forth

2

: out into notice or view

put forth leaves

lava bursting forth from the volcano

3

obsolete : away, abroad

forth

2 of 2

preposition

archaic

: forth from : out of

Synonyms of forth

Adverb

• forward
• onward
• on

Examples of forth in a Sentence

Adverb

a flow of lava bursting forth from the earth

The snow is gone and the flowers are ready to spring forth.

He went forth to spread the news.

She stretched forth her hands in prayer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Body camera footage captures the responding officers trying to make sense of the situation, going back and forth between Held and Saracco asking if anyone involved is a federal agent. —Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026

The two long-range models, GFS (the American) and ECMWF (the European), have been bouncing back and forth with these two tracks. —Tammie Souza, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Preposition

Back in late 2025, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt set forth to excavate a stretch of land east of Reinstedt to ensure that the construction of a wind farm wouldn’t rip up irreplaceable traces of the past. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026

SpongeBob has a strong work ethic and cares about working hard and putting forth a good effort, no matter the outcome. —Liz Regalia, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Preposition

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English for

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

circa 1575, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing forth

• and so forth
• back and forth
• bring forth
• call forth
• forth of
• from that day forth
• from that day forth/forward
• hold forth
• put forth
• sally forth
• send forth
• set forth

Rhymes for forth

• fourth
• henceforth
• thenceforth

Kids Definition

forth

adverb

ˈfō(ə)rth, 

ˈfȯ(ə)rth

1

: forward entry 2, onward

from that time forth

back and forth

2

: out into view

plants putting forth leaves

Geographical Definition

Forth

geographical name

ˈfȯrth 

river 116 miles (187 kilometers) long in south central Scotland flowing east into the Firth of Forth, an estuary 48 miles (77 kilometers) long that is an inlet of the North Sea