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foreword

UK/ˈfɔːwɜːd/US/ˈfɔɹwɝd/
nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,047 of 15,258mostly written

Other forms: forewords

A foreword is an introduction written by somebody other than the author. Write the foreword, a foreword by the editor, skip the foreword.

The distinction is precise: a foreword is by somebody else, a preface is by the author about the book, and an introduction is by the author about the subject. It is spelled foreword rather than forward, which catches a great many people out.

John McLure Hamilton · Public domain

Definitions of foreword

  1. 1nounforewordAn introduction written by somebody other than the author.B2+

    “The book has a foreword by a famous scientist who knew the author well.”

foreword is an introduction.

Where it comes from

Fore plus word, translating the German Vorwort, itself a translation of Latin praefatio.

  1. Latin

    praefatio — preface

  2. German

    Vorwort

  3. English, today

    foreword

Morphologically fore + word. German Vorwort, itself a Latin praefatio (“preface”). Cognate with German Low German Vörwoord (“foreword”), Dutch voorwoord (“foreword”), West Frisian foarwurd (“foreword”), Danish forord (“preface; proviso”), Swedish förord (“foreword”). Compare also Old English forword, foreword (“proviso; condition”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Libraries & Museums

Practise this word

foreword in the wild

  • A foreword is a short piece of writing that appears at the beginning of a book or another literary work.

    Foreword

  • However, unlike a preface, a foreword is conventionally signed and is usually attributed to a contributor distinct from the main author.

    Foreword

  • The first US edition appeared under the title The Complete Compleat Enchanter, and replaces the foreword with a preface by David Drake.

    The Complete Compleat Enchanter

  • The book collects eleven tales by various authors, with a foreword by Isaac Asimov and an overall introduction by the de Camps.

    3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction

  • The book is edited by Joey Green and includes an introduction by Arthur Marx and a foreword by Yoko Ono.

    Marx & Lennon

1 / 2

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the praefatio family

prefaceforeword

foreword — used about once every 18,318 pages · #13,047 · point at the bar for the others

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