Meaning & use
foreword
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A short introduction at the start of a book, usually written by someone other than the author.
Grammar: Countable: a foreword, forewords, the foreword of a book.
Patterns
- a foreword to something
- write a foreword
- in the foreword
The foreword explains how the author and I first met.
She was asked to write a foreword for the new edition.
In the foreword, the professor praises the book's clarity.
Word forms
| plural | forewords |
|---|
Common combinations
- write a foreword
- A famous historian agreed to write a foreword.
- a foreword to a book
- He contributed a foreword to the book.
- in the foreword
- The main argument appears in the foreword.
- short foreword
- The short foreword is only two pages long.
Synonyms and how they differ
- preface
- A preface is usually written by the author and explains why the book was written; a foreword is usually written by someone else and recommends the book.
- introduction
- An introduction is a longer opening section that is part of the book's main text; a foreword is a separate short piece before it.
Word family
- foreword noun
- The only common form; it does not have a verb or adjective form in everyday use.
Commonly confused: foreword or forward?
foreword vs forward
Forward means 'toward the front' or 'onward'; foreword is the introductory note in a book. Remember fore- as in 'before' and word.
Practice
The author invited a well-known scientist to write the ______ for her new book.
Choose one answer.
A foreword is the introductory note by someone other than the author. 'Forward' is a direction word, and 'forewards' is not a standard form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “foreword”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.