foreword

/ˌfɔrˈwʌrd/

/ˈfɔwəd/

Other forms: forewords

Many students tend to skip the foreword at the beginning of a long novel, or go back and read it later.

Use the noun foreword for an introduction that comes at the start of a book. A foreword is usually written by someone other than the author and it gives information about the critical reception of the book, personal history of the author, or some other extra detail of interest to the reader. The word foreword combines fore, "before, or first" and word, and it's closely connected to the German word for "preface," Vorwort.

Definitions of foreword

1. noun

   a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
   synonyms: preface, prolusion

   type of:

   introduction

   the first section of a communication