Forward vs. Aft: What's the Difference?

At, near, or belonging to the front or forepart; fore

At, in, toward, or close to the stern of a vessel or the rear of an aircraft or spacecraft.

Located ahead or in advance

(nautical) The stern portion of a vessel.

Going, tending, or moving toward a position in front

: the time of day from noon until early evening.

(Sports) Advancing toward an opponent's goal.

(nautical) At, near, or towards the stern of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).

Moving in a prescribed direction or order for normal use

Located at the back of a boat, ship, or airplane

Ardently inclined; eager.

Near or towards the stern of a vessel; astern; abaft.

Lacking restraint or modesty; presumptuous or bold

(nautical, aeronautical) situated at or toward the stern or tail

Being ahead of current economic, political, or technological trends; progressive

At or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane;

Deviating radically from convention or tradition; extreme.

Exceptionally advanced; precocious.

Of, relating to, or done in preparation for the future

Toward or tending to the front; frontward

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

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.

To send on to a subsequent destination or address.

Situated toward or at the front of something.

(of troops, guns etc.) Situated toward or near the enemy lines.

Acting in or pertaining to the direction in which someone or something is facing.

Acting in or pertaining to the direction of travel or movement.

(figuratively) Moving in the desired direction of progress.

Having the usual order or sequence.

Expected or scheduled to take place in the future.

Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; precocious.

Without customary restraint or modesty; bold, cheeky, pert, presumptuous or pushy.

(obsolete) Ready; prompt; ardently inclined; in a bad sense, eager or hasty.

At, near or towards the front of something.

(nautical) At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).

In the direction in which someone or something is facing.

In the desired or usual direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively; onwards.

So that front and back are in the usual orientation.

In the usual order or sequence.

Into the future.

To an earlier point in time. See also bring forward.

(transitive) To advance, promote.

(transitive) To send (a letter, email etc.) on to a third party.

To assemble (a book) by sewing sections, attaching cover boards, and so on.

(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.

(finance) 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.

Misspelling of foreword.

Agreement; covenant.

An agreement; a covenant; a promise.

Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance; progressively; - opposed to backward.

Near, or at the fore part; in advance of something else; as, the forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in a fleet.

Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in an ill sense, overready; too hasty.

Ardent; eager; earnest; in an ill sense, less reserved or modest than is proper; bold; confident; as, the boy is too forward for his years.

Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; as, the grass is forward, or forward for the season; we have a forward spring.

To help onward; to advance; to promote; to accelerate; to quicken; to hasten; as, to forward the growth of a plant; to forward one in improvement.

To send forward; to send toward the place of destination; to transmit; as, to forward a letter.

The person who plays the position of forward on a basketball team

A position on a basketball team

Send or ship onward from an intermediate post or station in transit;

At or near or directed toward the front;

Moving toward a position ahead;

Used of temperament or behavior; lacking restraint or modesty;

Of the transmission gear causing forward movement in a motor vehicle;

Moving forward

Situated at or toward the front;

Situated in the front;

At or to or toward the front;

Forward in time or order or degree;

Toward the future; forward in time;

In a forward direction;

Near or toward the bow of a ship or cockpit of a plane;