forward

adjective

for·ward | \ˈfȯr-wərd

also ˈfō- or ˈfȯ-, Southern also ˈfär-\

Definition of forward

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : 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.

2a : 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

5a : 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

forward

adverb

Definition of forward (Entry 2 of 4)

: to or toward what is ahead or in front from that time forward moved slowly forward

forward

verb

forwarded; forwarding; forwards

Definition of forward (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to help onward : promote forwarded his friend's career

2a : 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

forward

noun

Definition of forward (Entry 4 of 4)

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

Other Words from forward Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about forward

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Verb

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

Examples of forward in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adverb

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.

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The Indiana Pacers sign free agent forward Kyle O'Quinn Monday, July 9, 2018. — Andrew Hussey, Indianapolis Star, "Finally on a winner, Kyle O'Quinn embraces new chance with Pacers," 9 July 2018 Southgate had already introduced forward Marcus Rashford into the game, pulling off defender Kyle Walker. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "World Cup penalty shootouts have nothing to do with luck," 5 July 2018 Other locals on the first team include Laguna Beach senior guard Owen McMurray and freshman forward Nolan Naess, Costa Mesa junior guards Nico Dasca and Osman Hefner, and Estancia senior guard Alexander Hendricks. — Daily Pilot Staff, latimes.com, "Laguna Beach duo shares Orange Coast League MVP in boys’ basketball," 4 July 2018 State officials blamed the problems on the Motor Vehicle Administration, which failed to forward information to the Maryland Board of Elections after voters used the MVA to update their registration information. — Luke Broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "Thousands of uncounted provisional ballots in Maryland primary election leave key races undecided," 27 June 2018 That’s problematic sometimes, as people put their best foot forward to win press over and then fumble the full game. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "Anthem plays even smoother than Destiny, but BioWare's story will make or break it," 15 June 2018 Right-hander Michel Baez put his best foot forward Tuesday night at high Single-A Lake Elsinore, allowing just one hit and striking out eight over shutout innings in a 7-0 win at Inland Empire. — Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Michel Baez's gem paces Storm shutout," 6 June 2018 The Birmingham, a light cruiser, had been fitted with an 83-foot-long wooden flight deck over its forward guns that sloped forward slightly to help give Ely’s Curtiss Pusher some extra momentum during takeoff. — Matthew Moss, Popular Mechanics, "How the American Aircraft Carrier Became King of the Seas," 22 May 2018 Bridges should play primarily at the two forward spots this week and once the regular season begins. — Brendan Marks, charlotteobserver, "Why rookie Miles Bridges could be 'big-time' for Hornets, plus final minicamp notes," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Mayor Donald Trinks said Friday that all the parties involved were looking forward to the results of the independent inquiry so that the facts will be determined. — Steven Goode, Courant Community, "Town Manager Calls for Independent Investigation into Allegations of Dash Cam Tampering," 13 July 2018 Looking forward to Wednesday’s bipartisan Senate hearing hosted by Senator @BillCassidy on Paid Family Leave. — refinery29.com, "What Ivanka Did This Week: Pavers, Protests & Paid Family Leave," 13 July 2018 But despite the criticisms, Celmatix is moving forward with its research and efforts to capture the attention of a generation best known for its crippling student loan debt and gram-worthy avocado addictions. — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "This Company Wants Your Fertility Data," 13 July 2018 Japan can look forward to blistering electro-pop from Zedd, international trap from DJ Snake, high-quality hooks from Galantis, and all the Dutch house boom of Afrojack. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "Ultra Japan 2018 Lineup: Zedd, Axwell & Ingrosso, DJ Snake & More," 12 July 2018 Charlotte was clearly looking forward to the christening after party — and made sure to keep the guest list in check! — Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, "Did Princess Charlotte Tell Off Photographers at Prince Louis' Christening?," 12 July 2018 Look forward to a wide range of musical performances ranging in genre from jazz to reggae to acoustic rock to bluegrass and more. — Grace Dickinson, Philly.com, "Taylor Swift, 'Star Wars' with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and other great events in Philadelphia, July 13-20," 12 July 2018 While many look forward to gracing the pool with their presence, there are quite a few people who become anxiety-ridden about the idea of wearing swimwear in public, and that anxiety goes for all sizes. — Denise Bidot, Teen Vogue, "Chromat Debuts Pool Rules Campaign Featuring Denise Bidot, Mama Cax, and More," 12 July 2018 But in their quest to make a sustainable life out of rock, the band is still looking forward to this hometown gig. — Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando's The Pauses keep their sound on new album," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Washington elected to come back for his sophomore year despite being as, or more, intriguing than Kentucky forwards Wenyen Gabriel and Jarred Vanderbilt, who both chose to remain in the NBA draft. — Fletcher Page, The Courier-Journal, "What new Kentucky basketball commit Reid Travis means for the Wildcats," 20 June 2018 Wilson forwarded the email based on this incorrect understanding of the contents, Siddiqui said. — Kate Magill, Columbia Flier, "Solicitation for campaign workers forwarded by principal on Howard public school email," 18 June 2018 Under the law, each signature must be certified by a local registrar, who then forwards the information on to the secretary of the state’s office for final review. — Daniela Altimari, courant.com, "In Governor's Race, Petitions Are In And The Counting Begins," 12 June 2018 After a relatively surprise-free hour of wedding drama that resulted in Kate and Toby tying the knot, creator Dan Fogelman and the This Is Us writers threw everyone for a collective loop by flash-forwarding a year and more into the future. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "All Your 'This Is Us' Season 2 Finale Questions Answered," 13 Mar. 2018 The goal of the proposal, which the City Council’s Rules Committee forwarded on Wednesday to the full council, aims to eliminate the conflict of interest elected officials face when voting themselves pay increases. — David Garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Proposed ballot measure would hike pay for San Diego elected officials," 12 July 2018 Sources tell Fox News that Jordan previously forwarded the emails to Chief of Staff Kevin Eichinger and Jordan's attorney. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "Jim Jordan fights claims he ignored sexual abuse, calling allegations 'completely false'," 6 July 2018 DeMarcus Cousins dunks in front of Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson. — Ben Cohen, WSJ, "The Golden State Warriors Have Broken the NBA," 3 July 2018 England lacked imagination and, without striker Harry Kane and forwards Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling, anything looking like true menace up front. — Andrew Das, New York Times, "Belgium Beats England, but Faces Tougher World Cup Bracket," 29 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Bucks didn’t rescind their $4.3 million qualifying offer to Jabari Parker before Friday’s late deadline, a source confirmed, which means the forward remains a restricted free agent. — K.c. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Bulls working to sign restricted free agent Jabari Parker to offer sheet," 14 July 2018 The 21-year-old forward will receive $1,544,951 in 2018-19. — Gary Bedore, kansascity, "Details of Devonté Graham's contract revealed: $4 million over three seasons," 7 July 2018 And the precocious forward always relishes learning about how those individuals have been involved with the sport. — Peter Dawson, star-telegram, "From Southlake to the NHL: A local hockey prospect hopes to make that a reality this week," 21 June 2018 Both are 6-foot-5 forwards with plenty of varsity experience. — Bob Narang, chicagotribune.com, "Brian Johnson, Frank Siegien prepare to lead Glenbrook North as seniors," 9 July 2018 Hakan Sukur, a prolific forward for Turkey, is a prominent politician in his homeland. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "'Brazil's Donald Trump': World Cup fate impacts far-right presidential candidate," 6 July 2018 Conversely, Ariza does give first-year coach Igor Kokoskov something interim coach Jay Triano didn’t have last season; a reliable, defensive-minded forward who can also hit a three. — Scott Bordow, azcentral, "How Trevor Ariza fits Phoenix Suns' roster, affects cap space," 1 July 2018 Bridges is a tough forward who is good friends with NBA world champ Draymond Green, another former Michigan State star. — Langston Wertz Jr., charlotteobserver, "Hornets get Miles Bridges, not Michael Porter Jr., in Thursday's NBA draft. Social media reacts," 21 June 2018 Porter and Marvin Bagley III will likely be the first forwards to hear their names called during Thursday's NBA Draft. — William Wilkerson, star-telegram, "Vote: Who will Mavs take No. 5 overall in NBA Draft?," 20 June 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.