overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

forward.

Situated toward or at the front of something.

7 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adj/ˈfɔːwəd/Received-Pronunciation/ˈfɔɹwəɹd/General-American/ˈfoʊwəɹd/General-American, nonstandard/ˈfɔɹəɹd/General-American, dated
  1. Situated toward or at the front of something.

    The fire was confined to the forward portion of the store.
    the forward gun in a ship
  2. Situated toward or at the front of something. Situated toward or near the enemy lines.

    The forward battalion took a hammering.
  3. Acting in or pertaining to the direction in which someone or something is facing.

    My forward vision is fine, but my peripheral vision is poor.
  4. Acting in or pertaining to the direction of travel or movement.

    forward motion, forward thrust, forward momentum
  5. Moving in the desired direction of progress.

    figuratively
    This is an important forward step for the country.
  6. Having the usual order or sequence.

    The front of the fire engine has backward writing, that can be read in a mirror, as well as forward writing.
  7. Expected or scheduled to take place in the future.

    The stock price is currently 12 times forward earnings.
    The price for forward delivery is presently higher than the spot price.
  8. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; precocious.

    These students are very forward in their learning.
    The grass is forward, or forward for the season. We have a forward spring.
  9. Without customary restraint or modesty; bold, cheeky, pert, presumptuous or pushy.

    She is a very forward young lady, not afraid to speak her mind.
  10. Prominent, emphasized (or, in combinations, emphasizing).

  11. Ready; prompt; ardently inclined; in a bad sense, eager or hasty.

    obsolete
Where this word comes from

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”).

adv/ˈfɔːwəd/Received-Pronunciation/ˈfɔɹwəɹd/General-American/ˈfoʊwəɹd/General-American, nonstandard/ˈfɔɹəɹd/General-American, dated
  1. At, near or towards the front of something.

    not-comparable
    She was sitting well forward in the railway carriage.
    The bus driver told everyone standing up to move forward.
  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
  3. In the direction in which someone or something is facing.

    not-comparable
    I leant forward to get a better look.
    The grandfather clock toppled forward and crashed to the ground.
  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.
    Wind the film forward a few frames.
  5. So that front and back are in the usual orientation.

    not-comparable
    Don't wear your baseball cap backward; turn it forward.
  6. In the usual order or sequence.

    not-comparable
    A palindrome reads the same backward as forward.
  7. Into the future.

    not-comparable
    From this day forward, there will be no more brussels sprouts at the cafeteria.
  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.
Where this word comes from

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”).

verb/ˈfɔːwəd/Received-Pronunciation/ˈfɔɹwəɹd/General-American/ˈfoʊwəɹd/General-American, nonstandard/ˈfɔɹəɹd/General-American, dated
  1. To advance, promote.

    transitive
    He did all he could to forward the interests of the school.
  2. 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.
  3. To assemble (a book) by sewing sections, attaching cover boards, and so on.

    transitive
  4. To arrive, come.

    Caribbean · intransitive
Where this word comes from

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”).

noun/ˈfɔːwəd/Received-Pronunciation/ˈfɔɹwəɹd/General-American/ˈfoʊwəɹd/General-American, nonstandard/ˈfɔɹəɹd/General-American, dated
  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. 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). (soccer) 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. 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.

  3. An umbrella term for a centre or winger in ice hockey.

  4. The small forward or power forward position; two frontcourt positions that are taller than guards but shorter than centers.

  5. The front part of a vessel.

  6. An e-mail message that is forwarded to another recipient or recipients; an electronic chain letter.

    Internet
  7. 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.

  8. Misspelling of foreword (“preface or introduction”).

    alt-of · misspelling
Where this word comes from

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”).

noun/ˈfɔːwəd/Received-Pronunciation/ˈfɔɹwəɹd/General-American/ˈfoʊwəɹd/General-American, nonstandard/ˈfɔɹəɹd/General-American, dated
  1. Agreement; covenant.

    dialectal · obsolete
Where this word comes from

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.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

forward has 7 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

forward studioforward workshello, forward

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.