fore

1 of 6

noun

ˈfȯr 

: something that occupies a front position

fore

2 of 6

adverb

1

: in, toward, or near the front : forward

The plane's exits are located fore and aft.

2

obsolete : at an earlier time or period

fore

3 of 6

adjective

1

: situated in front of something else : forward

2

: prior in order of occurrence : former

fore

4 of 6

preposition

variants or less commonly 'fore

1

: in the presence of

2

chiefly dialectal : before

fore

5 of 6

interjection

—used by a golfer to warn anyone within range of the probable line of flight of the ball

fore-

6 of 6

combining form

1

a

: earlier : beforehand

foresee

b

: occurring earlier : occurring beforehand

foreshock

2

a

: situated at the front : in front

foreleg

b

: front part of (something specified)

forearm

c

: foremast

foretop

Phrases

to the fore

: in or into a position of prominence : forward

Synonyms

Adjective

• anterior
• forward
• front
• frontal
• frontward
• frontwards

Preposition

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• ahead of
• before
• ere
• of
• previous to
• prior to
• to

Examples of fore in a Sentence

Adverb

The plane's exits are located fore and aft.

Adjective

the fore and aft cabins

cats have five fore toes but only four hind toes

Preposition

set out early with the hope of arriving fore the sunset

fore the stranger there swarmed a gaggle of curious street urchins

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That’s especially important as AI comes to the fore: Only OEMs that can capture and compile real-world performance data will be able to train models and create more intelligent machinery to drive benefits for end-users. —Chris Turlica, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Now Morisseau, who is half Haitian and half Black American, is exploring a new setting, that of urbane Port-au-Prince, some years after the 2010 earthquake, a natural disaster that brought to the fore, with devastating clarity, the unnatural cycles of exploitation that threaten to define Haiti. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024

Adjective

These issues were brought to the fore last year during the SAG-AFTRA strike. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024

The euro slipped at the start of trading, as investors digested a result that few had anticipated and brings back to the fore concern about France’s fiscal problems, given parties’ commitment to a major increase in public spending. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 8 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Preposition

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English for

Adjective and Noun

fore-

Interjection

probably short for before

Combining form

Middle English for-, fore-, from Old English fore-, from fore, adverb

First Known Use

Noun

1637, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Interjection

circa 1878, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fore

• fore and aft
• fore-and-after
• fore-and-aft rig
• fore-topmast

Kids Definition

fore

1 of 5 adverb

ˈfō(ə)r 

ˈfȯ(ə)r

: in, toward, or near the front : forward

fore

2 of 5 adjective

: being or coming before in time, order, or space

fore

3 of 5 noun

: a front place or position

came to the fore

fore

4 of 5 interjection

—used by a golfer to warn anyone within range of a hit ball

fore-

5 of 5 combining form

1

a

: earlier : beforehand

foresee

b

: occurring earlier : occurring beforehand

forethought

2

a

: situated at the front : in front

foreleg

b

: front part of (something specified)

forearm

Etymology

Combining form

Old English fore- "earlier, beforehand"

Medical Definition

fore

adjective

ˈfō(ə)r, ˈfȯ(ə)r 

: situated in front of something else