✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

forwarder

noun

for·​ward·​er ˈfȯr-wər-dər How to pronounce forwarder (audio)
also ˈfō-
or ˈfȯ-
Southern also ˈfär-
: one that forwards
especially : an agent who performs services (such as receiving, transshipping, or delivering) designed to move goods to their destination

Examples of forwarder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These changes may require freight forwarders, software vendors and other logistics providers to update their data collection and transmission processes, ensure compliance with new records retention rules and coordinate closely with partners to avoid shipment delays or enforcement actions. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025 The shipper provided the freight forwarder with information about the shipment, including contents, value, destination and recipient, according to the document. Christina Hall, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025 The shipper provided the freight forwarder with information about the shipment, including contents, value, destination and recipient, according to the document. Christina Hall, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Here’s how the scheme plays out: Chinese exporters, often through freight forwarders — companies that handle the logistics of shipping merchandise — understate the value of goods or mislabel them, often both, in the shipping documents to draw lesser duties. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for forwarder

Word History

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forwarder was in 1549

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forwarder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forwarder. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

forwarder

noun
for·​ward·​er ˈfȯr-wərd-ər How to pronounce forwarder (audio)
: one that forwards

More from Merriam-Webster on forwarder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!