HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
adj. 1. a. At, near, or belonging to the front or forepart; fore: the forward section of the aircraft. b. Located ahead or in advance: kept her eye on the forward horizon. 2. a. Going, tending, or moving toward a position in front: a forward plunge down a flight of stairs. b. Sports Advancing toward an opponent's goal. c. Moving in a prescribed direction or order for normal use: forward rolling of the cassette tape. 3. a. Ardently inclined; eager. b. Lacking restraint or modesty; presumptuous or bold: a forward child. 4. a. Being ahead of current economic, political, or technological trends; progressive: a forward concept. b. Deviating radically from convention or tradition; extreme. 5. Exceptionally advanced; precocious. 6. Of, relating to, or done in preparation for the future: a rise in the forward price of corn. adv. or for·wards (-wərdz) 1. Toward or tending to the front; frontward: step forward. 2. Into consideration: put forward a new proposal. 3. In or toward the future: looking forward to seeing you. 4. a. In the prescribed direction or sequence for normal use: rolled the tape forward. b. In an advanced position or a configuration registering a future time: set the clock forward. c. At or to a different time; earlier or later: moved the appointment forward, from Friday to Thursday. See Usage Note at backward. n. Sports 1. A player in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey, who is part of the forward line of the offense. 2. The position played by such a person. tr.v. for·ward·ed, for·ward·ing, for·wards 1. To send on to a subsequent destination or address. See Synonyms at send1. 2. To help advance; promote. See Synonyms at advance. [Middle English, from Old English foreweard : fore-, fore- + -weard, -ward.] forward·ly adv. forward·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
