What does forthwith mean?
Forthwith is a formal adverb meaning immediately, without any delay. It signals that an action is to be taken at once, the very moment an instruction is given or received. The word appears most often in legal and administrative contexts — court orders, contracts, regulatory notices, and official letters — where phrases like 'effective forthwith', 'cease forthwith', or 'comply forthwith' carry an authoritative ring and leave no room for postponement. Because of these associations, forthwith connotes urgency and institutional power; being told to do something forthwith suggests the matter brooks no argument. In ordinary conversation it sounds stilted and even slightly pompous, which is precisely why writers sometimes deploy it for comic effect when a character adopts an officious tone. Rooted in Old English, it remains a living part of the language largely because law and bureaucracy preserve formal vocabulary long after everyday usage has moved on to simpler words like 'right away'.
adverbImmediately; without delay or hesitation.
- Immediately; at once; without any delay.
"The committee ordered the report to be revised forthwith."
"The landlord was instructed to cease the unauthorized construction forthwith."
"Upon receiving the court's ruling, the company complied with the order forthwith."
'Forthwith' appears so often in legal documents and official notices that receiving a letter saying something must be done forthwith is a reliably alarming moment in anyone's mail.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of forthwith
Forthwith derives from Old English, formed from 'forth' (forward, onward) combined with 'with' in its older sense of 'against' or 'immediately after' — hence literally 'straight away, directly'. It has been used since the early medieval period to mean 'at once' or 'without delay'. It belongs to a family of formal English compounds built with 'with', such as herewith, therewith, wherewithal, and henceforth, many of which likewise survive mainly in legal and official language.
How forthwith is actually used
Forthwith is a formal word, now found chiefly in legal documents, official directives, and correspondence. It carries a tone of urgency and authority, and its use in everyday speech can sound stiffly old-fashioned or deliberately imperious.
Easily confused with forthwith
Hereby means 'by means of this' (referring to the present document or statement), while forthwith means 'immediately' — both are formal legal-sounding adverbs but they describe entirely different things.