front-end

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrənt-ˌend 

1

: relating to, occurring in, or required at the beginning of an undertaking or business transaction

no front-end charge at the time of investment

He pays close attention to financial matters and can speak the language of "front-end money," "back-end money" and the rest of it.

—Erik Hedegaard

compare back-end sense 1

2

computing : visible to the user of a device or service

a front-end application/interface

compare back-end sense 2

front end

2 of 2

noun

plural front ends

1

: the front part or section of something

Soon the front end of the ship began to go down and down, faster and faster—till the boat looked almost as though it were standing on its head.

—Hugh Lofting

2

computing

a

: a unit in a computer system devoted to controlling the data communications link between terminals and the main computer and often to the preliminary processing of data

b

: a software interface (such as a graphical user interface) designed to enable user-friendly interaction with a computer

… you'll want to use this well-designed, easy-to-use front end for Windows' obscure command-line tools.

—Edward Mendelson

compare back end sense 3

3

: the initial part or period of a business arrangement or financial undertaking

Once a record company has sunk a lot of money on the front end of a project, with big-name producers and an expensive video, she says, "They're afraid of spending money on anything else."

—Mimi Valdés

In sum, the initiative aims to force … residents to pay more of their own fire protection expenses, and to pay those expenses on the front end.

—David Sirota

compare back end sense 2

Examples of front-end in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But the project gains those coolness points back with a web front-end that lets users load generic WAD files into a playable PDF. —Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2025

This practice is a form of intermittent fasting called front-end intermittent fasting, where most of your calories are consumed during daylight or at the beginning of your day, tapering off toward bedtime. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2025

Noun

The back end of his career wasn’t exactly a mirror image of the front end. —Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

Next, resilience is as important as doing the work on the front end. —William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1