forward

adjective for·ward \ ˈfȯr-wərd also ˈfō- or ˈfȯ- , Southern also ˈfär- \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: forward in a Sentence

Definition of forward

1 a : near, being at, or belonging to the forepart

the forward section of the main deck

b : situated in advance

Baggage is carried in the forward cars of the train.

2 a : strongly inclined : ready

always forward to criticize his neighbors

b : lacking modesty or reserve : brash

Poorly disciplined children are often distressingly forward.

3 : notably advanced or developed : precocious

The child is very forward at walking.

4 : moving, tending, or leading toward a position in front

checked the forward movement of the dog

; also : moving toward an opponent's goal

5 a : advocating an advanced policy in the direction of what is considered progress

a firm forward policy

b : extreme, radical

on the forward fringe of conservatism

6 : of, relating to, or getting ready for the future

forward buying of produce

—

forwardly

adverb

—

forwardness

noun

See forward defined for English-language learners

See forward defined for kids

Examples of forward in a Sentence

the forward deck of a boat
the forward movement of history
a very forward young woman

Recent Examples of forward from the Web

Fashion-forward visitors come from allover to see what these boutiques have to offer.

— adam mastroianni, SFChronicle.com, "SF street style: Hanging in Hayes Valley," 30 June 2018
Davidson isn’t the perfect avatar of this unkempt, skate-forward moment in streetwear.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "Pete Davidson and the Rise of the Scumbro," 29 June 2018
Photo: Sharifulin Valery/Zuma Press Vela, who joined Los Angeles FC in January, was key to the high-octane approach, tirelessly tracking back from his forward position to close down Toni Kroos, the Germany playmaker.

— jonathan clegg, WSJ, "Mexico’s World Cup Run Is Built on Benchwarmers," 22 June 2018
Iceland was level four minutes later, however, when Alfred Finnbogason scored after Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero pushed a low cross into the forward’s path for a volley from eight yards.

— Washington Post, "Messi misses penalty, Iceland holds Argentina to 1-1 draw," 16 June 2018
Bey is known as a rugged rebounder who can play either forward position.

— mike jensen, Philly.com, "Villanova basketball lands forward Saddiq Bey, former N.C. State recruit," 15 June 2018
Geroux offered a similar explanation to the Daily Racing Form, saying the plan was always to move Restoring Hope to a forward position.

— childs walker, baltimoresun.com, "Questions raised about Belmont race strategy of second Baffert-trained horse, Restoring Hope," 11 June 2018
Grady did give Killoren a break in the Warriors' Central Suburban North opener against Highland Park, shifting from midfielder to the less physically demanding forward position.

— patrick z. mcgavin, chicagotribune.com, "Playing through pain, Malori Killoren sets tone for Deerfield girls soccer," 2 Apr. 2018
Surprisingly, Graves led the Maroons last year with eight goals for a 12-win team despite not playing in a glamorous forward position.

— c.r. walker, Elgin Courier-News, "A keeper at sweeper: Kylie Graves inspired by brother to form Best Buddies chapter at Elgin," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of forward

Middle English, from Old English foreweard, from fore- + -weard -ward

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

forward Synonyms

forward

adverb

Definition of forward

: to or toward what is ahead or in front

from that time forward

moved slowly forward

See forward defined for English-language learners

Examples of forward in a Sentence

Her long hair fell forward as she bent to tie her shoes.
He pushed the throttle forward.
She took a small step forward.
The narrative moves backward and forward in time.
The technology has taken a big step forward.

Recent Examples of forward from the Web

In Guerra’s view, the housing represents a step forward for the site.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "Remember the old state fairgrounds? It’s Sacramento’s newest urban housing hot spot," 12 July 2018
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, who was the head coach of Kansas at that time, had just lost future NBA forward Josh Childress to Stanford in a tough recruiting battle, and was looking for a slashing scorer.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "First family of Fort Worth basketball still shining after careers at TCU, Kansas," 12 July 2018
Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzmán’s shot to shallow center field had Adam Jones springing forward to make a catch in the seventh.

— katherine fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles ride rookie Yefry Ramírez to beat error-riddled Rangers, 1-0," 15 July 2018
Frazier anticipated a Utah Jazz player’s pass toward the sideline, and Frazier — using his quick first step and his 7-foot-1¾ wingspan — poked the ball forward, accelerated toward the hoop and threw down a right-handed windmill dunk.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Rookie Melvin Frazier Jr. showing defensive grit but unrefined offensive game," 14 July 2018
Matthew Hurt, a five-star, 6-foot-9 forward from Minnesota, has a great uncle on his dad's side who lives in Louisville, and his father grew up in Murray.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "He has local ties, but U of L faces tough competition for Matthew Hurt," 14 July 2018
Miscellany: Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored six goals in his last four matches and 11 total in his 14 games . . .

— BostonGlobe.com, "Galaxy vs. Revolution," 14 July 2018
In China, Eder will link up with fellow Italian Gabriel Paletta, formerly of Liverpool and AC Milan, as well as former Chelsea midfielder Ramires and ex-Shakhtar Donetsk forward Alex Teixeira.

— SI.com, "Inter Forward Eder Completes Permanent Move to Chinese Club Jiangsu Suning," 13 July 2018
Moss styled her floaty black frock with a familiar 1980s staple—a wide, waist-cinching belt—instantly transforming what could have otherwise been a basic dress into something far more fashion forward.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Kate Moss Has Just the Right Styling Trick to Transform a Little Black Dress," 13 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of forward

see ¹forward

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

forward Synonyms

Synonyms

ahead, along, forth, forwards, on, onward (also onwards);

Near Antonyms

back, backward (or backwards), behind, rearward (also rearwards);

forward

verb

Definition of forward

forwarded; forwarding; forwards

transitive verb

1 : to help onward : promote

forwarded his friend's career

2 a : to send forward : transmit

will forward the goods on receipt of your check

b : to send or ship onward from an intermediate post or station in transit

forward mail

See forward defined for English-language learners

Examples of forward in a Sentence

Your letter will be forwarded to the appropriate department.
Please forward my mail to my new address.

Recent Examples of forward from the Web

But his disclosure form was lost and not forwarded to the entire City Council.

— joe guillen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit tax official reprimanded for second job in real estate," 10 July 2018
Fast-forwarding to this spring, Ho, a senior, was one among the best doubles players in the county, having finished second at the county tournament as a sophomore and junior alongside different partners.

— tim schwartz, Howard County Times, "Centennial senior Peter Ho earns boys tennis Player of Year honor," 29 June 2018
Regardless, the idea of the Sox fast-forwarding the rebuild, as the Brewers did in 2017, seems far-fetched.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "How much longer will the White Sox rebuild take?," 28 June 2018
Affordable Chrome OS laptops with good serviceability also fast-forwarded Chrome OS' adoption in schools.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Acer Chromebook Tab 10 review: Chrome OS revives Google’s tablet future," 23 June 2018
Fast-forwarding to the current day, Trump has eschewed public comment on the immigration crisis while other prominent women—notably including all five living first ladies—spoke out on the family separations.

— celeste katz, Glamour, "Ivanka Trump Said She'd Fight for Women. Where Is She on the Border Crisis?," 20 June 2018
The play moves both too slow and too fast, spending eons on the overwrought preamble to a game, but then making characters vault, sans pretext, into whole new personae or fast-forwarding through Katja’s doxing and its fallout.

— lily janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Video games and theater an even match-up in ‘Non-Player Character’," 16 Feb. 2018
Christine Nizer, the head of the Motor Vehicle Administration, came under fire Monday and Tuesday after the agency failed to forward voter information to the Maryland Board of Elections, forcing as many as 80,000 voters to cast provisional ballots.

— jessica anderson, baltimoresun.com, "What we know about Christine Nizer, head of Maryland's MVA, which failed to forward key voter information," 26 June 2018
The League has also faced widespread criticism for xenophobic, anti-immigrant policies reminiscent of those forwarded by far-right parties across Europe, such as Germany's AfD and the National Front in France.

— livia borghese and dakin andone, CNN, "Five Star Movement supporters rally in Rome to celebrate new government," 2 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of forward

see ¹forward

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1596

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

forward Synonyms

Synonyms

advance, cultivate, encourage, foster, further, incubate, nourish, nurse, nurture, promote;

Antonyms

discourage, frustrate, hinder, inhibit;

Near Antonyms

ban, bar, enjoin, forbid, interdict, outlaw, prevent, prohibit, proscribe;

repress, snuff (out), squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress;

arrest, check, halt, retard;

encumber, fetter, hobble, impede, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle;

endow, finance, fund, patronize, stake, subsidize, underwrite;

abet, aid, assist;

advertise, boost, plug, publicize, tout;

agitate (for), campaign (for), work (for);

Synonym Discussion of forward

advance, promote, forward, further mean to help (someone or something) to move ahead. advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end.

- advance the cause of peace

promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank.

- a campaign to promote better health

forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead.

- a wage increase would forward productivity

further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance.

- used the marriage to further his career

forward

noun

Definition of forward

: a player who plays at the front the team's formation near the opponent's goal

a forward in hockey

See forward defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of forward from the Web

Croatia defenders will be forced from the whistle into keeping close tabs on the 19-year-old forward, whose performances in Russia have been likened to Pele.

— john leicester, chicagotribune.com, "Five reasons why France will win the World Cup final," 14 July 2018
The Orlando Magic re-signed forward Aaron Gordon on Friday, a few hours after the NBA lifted its annual July moratorium on free-agent signings.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando Magic re-sign Aaron Gordon," 6 July 2018
Doug McDermott and the Indiana Pacers have reached an agreement to bring in the forward on a three-year, $22-million deal, according to ESPN.

— the heat index, azcentral, "Paul George gets the NBA free-agency party started," 1 July 2018
Instead of dwelling on his dwindling playing time, Bell stayed late after practice for games of 3-on-3, worked on defending guards and forwards, and hoped that his professionalism would be rewarded with more minutes.

— connor letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Jordan Bell: How Warriors center handled up-and-down rookie season," 30 June 2018
Matt Curley's first group of recruits features seven players — four forwards, two defensemen and one goalie.

— beth bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "UAA hockey team adds 7, waits for NCAA decision on Alec Butcher," 29 June 2018
All of these things collectively pushed me forwards, eventually leading me towards seeking different avenues for mental health support.

— jes baker, SELF, "Nope, I’m Not Trying to Lose Weight," 26 June 2018
The offside rule goes like this: If an attacker (a forward) is on the opponent's side of the field and a teammate touches the ball, at least two players from the opposing team must be closer to the goal line than the attacker.

— Bloomberg.com, "A Guide to the World Cup When You Know Nothing About Soccer," 26 June 2018
Teams were allowed to protect only either (A) seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie, or (B) eight skaters and one goalie.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "It's easy to see why Vegas is in Stanley Cup Finals and Flyers aren't | Sam Carchidi," 25 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of forward

see ¹forward

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1879

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

FORWARD Defined for English Language Learners

forward

adjective

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

: near or belonging to the front part of something
: moving or directed ahead or toward the front
: moving toward the future or toward a more advanced state or condition

forward

adverb

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

: toward the front : to or toward what is ahead or in front
: toward the future
: to or toward a more advanced state or condition

forward

verb

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

: to send (something you have received, such as a letter) to someone else
: to send (something that has arrived, such as a letter) to another place
: to help (something) make progress or continue to a more advanced state

forward

noun

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

sports : a player who plays near the opponent's goal

FORWARD Defined for Kids

forward

adjective for·ward \ ˈfȯr-wərd \

Definition of forward for Students

1 : near, at, or belonging to the front part

a ship's forward deck

2 : moving, tending, or leading to a position in front

He made a sudden forward movement.

3 : lacking proper modesty or reserve

forward

adverb

variants: or forwards \ˈfȯr-wərdz\

Definition of forward for Students

: to or toward what is in front

Everyone moved forward.

forward

verb

Definition of forward for Students

forwarded; forwarding

1 : to send on or ahead

forward a letter

2 : to help onward : advance

forward a cause

forward

noun

Definition of forward for Students

: a player at or near the front of his or her team or near the opponent's goal

Law Dictionary

forward

noun for·ward

legal Definition of forward

: forward contract at contract

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See words that rhyme with forward Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for forward Spanish Central: Translation of forward Nglish: Translation of forward for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of forward for Arabic speakers

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forward

Definition of forward

forwardly

forwardness

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Origin and Etymology of forward

forward Synonyms

Synonyms

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forward

Definition of forward

Examples of forward in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of forward

forward Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

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forward

Definition of forward

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Origin and Etymology of forward

forward Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of forward

forward

Definition of forward

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Origin and Etymology of forward

FORWARD Defined for English Language Learners

forward

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

forward

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

forward

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

forward

Definition of forward for English Language Learners

FORWARD Defined for Kids

forward

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forward

Definition of forward for Students

forward

Definition of forward for Students

forward

Definition of forward for Students

Law Dictionary

forward

legal Definition of forward

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