Word Confusion: Forward versus Forwards

Posted November 23, 2023 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

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Well, it is a word confusion forward vs forwards. Oh, they do mean the same thing: in the direction of the front or ahead.

However, forwards takes it a step further: in the direction of the front or ahead but with a sense of progress or development.

For the most part, most sites agree that it’s best to avoid using forwards. To keep to the simpler forward.

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Exploring Later . . .

Take a look at “Foreword versus Forward” for that distinction, and you may also want to explore Afterward(s) versus Afterword” and “Backward versus Backwards“.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

If you found this post on “Forward versus Forwards” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.

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Forward	Forwards
Forward by Nicholas A Tonelli is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.	Lifting Techniques by Amr mostafa202 is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via OR Wikipedia. — One step in the process is to face forwards.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective; Adverb; Noun; Verb, transitive Plural for the noun: forwards Gerund: forwarding Third person present verb: forwards Past tense or past participle: forwarded Present participle: forwarding	Adverb; Noun Plural for the noun: forwards
Adjective: At, near, or belonging to the front or forepart Fore Located ahead or in advance Going, tending, or moving toward a position in front [Sports] Advancing toward an opponent’s goal Moving in a prescribed direction or order for normal use Ardently inclined Eager Lacking restraint or modesty Presumptuous, bold, pert, or impudent Being ahead of current economic, political, or technological trends Progressive Deviating radically from convention or tradition Extreme Exceptionally advanced or well developed, especially in physical, material, or intellectual growth or development Precocious Favoring change Progressive Of, relating to, or done in preparation for the future [Archaic; often postpositive] Ready, eager, or willing [Commerce; finance] Relating to fulfillment at a future date [New Zealand; of an animal] In good condition
Adverb: Toward or tending to the front Frontward Towards the front or bow of an aircraft or ship Into consideration In or toward the future In the prescribed direction or sequence for normal use In an advanced position or a configuration registering a future time At or to a different time Earlier or later Into prominence or a position of being subject to public scrutiny Out Forth Noun: A player in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey, who is part of the forward line of the offense The position played by such a person [Finance] A legally binding agreement to buy or sell a standardized asset on a specific date or during a specific month Verb, transitive: To send on to a subsequent destination or address To help advance Promote [Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding] To prepare (a book) for the finisher	Adverb: In the direction that one is facing or traveling Toward the front Onward so as to make progress Toward a successful conclusion Toward or tending to the front Frontward Towards the front or bow of an aircraft or ship Into consideration In or toward the future In the prescribed direction or sequence for normal use In an advanced position or a configuration registering a future time At or to a different time Earlier or later Into prominence or a position of being subject to public scrutiny Out Forth Noun: [Finance] Short for forwards contract
Examples:
Adjective: She headed to the forward section of the aircraft. She kept her eye on the forward horizon. She took a forward plunge down a flight of stairs. It was an intense drive to push forward. He pushed for the forward rolling of the cassette tape. The old biddy was always forward in criticizing her neighborss. She was a forward child. It was a forward concept. She was on the forward fringe of conservatism. The child is very forward at walking. There was a rise in the forward price of corn. He checked the forward movement of the dog. We found them in the forward section of the main deck. That was quite a forward remark. She had some really forward ideas. It was a forward-looking plan. The company looked at the forward buying of produce. It’s a forward herd.
Adverb: Take a step forward. He put forward a new proposal. I’m looking forward to seeing you. She rolled the tape forward. Don’t forget to set the clock forward. He moved the appointment forward, from Friday to Thursday. His actions brought him forward to many people. He moved slowly forward. The witness came forward. Noun: He’s part of the forward line of the offense. Mercer is our power forward. He’s a forward in hockey. Future and forward contracts (more commonly referred to as futures and forwards) are contracts that are used by businesses and investors to hedge against risks or speculate” (Vipond). Verb, transitive: Forward this to Mike in accounting. The letter was forwarded from a previous address. She’s moving forward in her logical thinking. He’s moving forward in his career. She forwarded her friend’s career. There are various stages in forwarding a book from folded sections up to the covering stage.	Adverb: The train moved forwards. She brought forwards a good suggestion. He started up the engine and the car moved forwards. For every step that her campaign takes forwards, it seems to take two backwards. There’s no way forwards for the relationship. From this day forwards, we’ll take the time to talk. She took a step forwards. Noun: Forwards are settled at maturity. Forwards are a private contract between two parties. There is a low level of regulation and oversight on settlements when using forwards.
Derivatives:
Adjective: forward-looking, forward-thinking, forwardable, forwarding Adverb: forrad [dialectal], forrard [dialectal], forwardly Noun: forwarder, forwardness
History of the Word:
Old English forweard (in the sense towards the future, as in from this day forward), a variant of forthweard (see forth, -ward).

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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