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Forward vs Before - What's the difference?

forward | before |

As adverbs the difference between forward and before

is that forward is towards the front or from the front while before is at an earlier time.

As a noun forward

is (dialectal|or|obsolete) agreement; covenant or forward can be (rugby) 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).

As an adjective forward

is toward the front or at the front.

As a verb forward

is to advance, promote.

As a preposition before is

earlier than (in time).

As a conjunction before is

in advance of the time when.

forward

English

Alternative forms

* (l)

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • (dialectal, or, obsolete) Agreement; covenant.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) foreward, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Toward the front or at the front.
    • The fire was confined to the forward portion of the store.
    the forward''' gun in a ship, or the '''forward ship in a fleet
  • Without customary restraint or modesty.
    • I thought his suggestion that we move in together was rather forward .
    1999:' ''"Would you think it '''forward of me to kiss you?" asked Tristran.'' — Neil Gaiman, ''Stardust , pg. 44 (2001 Perennial paperback edition).
  • (finance) Expected in the future.
    • The stock price is currently 12 times forward earnings.
  • Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in a bad sense, overready or hasty.
  • * Bible, Gal. ii. 10
    • Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Nor do we find him forward to be sounded.
  • Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season.
    • The grass is forward''', or '''forward''' for the season. We have a '''forward spring.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The most forward bud / Is eaten by the canker ere it blow.
    Usage notes
    * The superlative forwardmost can be used for the "toward or at the front" sense. There does not appear to be a "forwardmore".
    Synonyms
    * (at the front) anterior, front * (without customary restraint) bold, fresh, impertinent * (expected in the future) forecast, predicted
    Antonyms
    * (at the front) back, posterior, rear * (without customary restraint) restrained * (expected in the future) past

    Adverb

    (further)
  • Towards the front or from the front.
  • *
    • A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward , staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.
  • In the usual direction of travel.
  • Into the future.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.}}
    Synonyms
    * (towards the front) forwards * (in the usual direction of travel) ahead, forth, on, onward, onwards * (into the future) forth, forwards, hereon, on, onward, onwards
    Antonyms
    * (towards the front) back, backward, backwards, rearwards * (in the usual direction of travel) back, backward, backwards, rearwards, in reverse * (in the future) backward, backwards, into the past
    Derived terms
    * (adverb) * look forward * look forward to

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To advance, promote.
  • * 1941 , (W Somerset Maugham), Up at the Villa , Vintage 2004, p. 26:
    • Mary had a suspicion that this plan had been arranged beforehand, for she knew how the lewd old woman loved to forward love affairs […].
  • To send (a letter, email etc.) to a third party.
    • I'll be glad to forward your mail to you while you're gone.
    Synonyms
    * pass on
    Derived terms
    * fast forward * forwarding address * freight forwarder

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (rugby) 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.
  • (ice hockey) An umbrella term for a centre or winger in ice hockey.
  • (basketball) The small forward or power forward position; two frontcourt positions that are taller than guards but shorter than centers.
  • (nautical) The front part of a vessel.
  • (Internet) An e-mail message that is forwarded to another recipient or recipients; an electronic chain letter.
  • * 2004 , Tamara Stevens, What Is Snail Mail?: The Lost Art of Letterwriting (page 27)
    • When you receive your new pen-pal's email address, do not automatically put it in your address book and use the email Addy to send 'forwards' to. Not every pen pal likes 'forwards', especially jokes and meaningless emails.
  • * 2009 , Joli Ballew, Windows 7 for the Over 50s in Simple Steps
    • This method attaches the files to a new email, which is fine if you want to create a new email. The only problem with this is that it doesn't work if you'd rather send forwards or replies.
    • Synonyms
    * (soccer position) attacker, centre forward, striker
    See also
    * foreword, meaning a preface or introduction

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    *

    before

    English

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Earlier than (in time).
  • * (Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)
    • Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 11, author=Rory Houston, work=RTE Sport
    • , title= Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland , passage=Stephen Ward then had to time his tackle excellently to deny Tarmo Kink as the Wolves winger slid the ball out of play before the Estonian could attempt to beat Given.}}
  • In front of in space.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • His angel, who shall go / Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire.
  • *
    • He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance.she found her mother standing up before the seat on which she had sat all the evening searching anxiously for her with her eyes, and her father by her side.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= The Evolution of Eyeglasses , passage=The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.}}
  • Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).
  • * (John Ayliffe) (1676-1732)
    • If a suit be begun before an archdeacon
  • In store for, in the future of (someone).
  • * (Thomas Carlyle) (1795-1881)
    • The golden ageis before us.
  • In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.
  • At a higher or greater position in a ranking.
  • * (Bible), (w) i. 15
    • He that cometh after me is preferred before me.
  • * (Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784)
    • The eldest son is before the younger in succession.

    Synonyms

    * (earlier than in time) by, no later than * (in front of in space) ahead of, in front of * (in front of according to an ordering system) ahead of

    Antonyms

    * (earlier than in time) after, later than * (in front of in space) behind * (in front of according to an ordering system) after

    Adverb

    (-)
  • At an earlier time.
  • * , chapter=12
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.}}
  • In advance.
  • At the front end.
  • * 1896 , (Hilaire Belloc), The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts , :
    • When people call this beast to mind,
    They marvel more and more
    At such a (little) tail behind,
    So LARGE a trunk before .

    Synonyms

    * (at an earlier time) previously * (in advance) ahead * (at the front end) in front

    Antonyms

    * (at an earlier time) after * (at the front end) behind

    Derived terms

    * beforehand * beforetime

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • in advance of the time when
  • (informal) rather or sooner than

    • Synonyms

    * (rather than) lest

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

    Statistics

    * English locatives English sequence adverbs 1000 English basic words