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to carry forward

to carry forward

4 3.7
To move something unused from one period to the next so it can still be used
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈkæri ˈfɔrwərd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trasladar
  • But the time may be carried forward to our present day.

I'm wondering what you carry forward from that.

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Examples

  • I thought he'd be able to carry our work forward after I was gone.

  • We should develop a system for carrying forward fine traditional culture and promote outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

    Blog text (13)
  • And I carried that forward to the day I was released, even in open prison.

  • Feel free to work on this any way you like and carry the concept forward!

    Blog text (9)
  • And I want now to carry that forward into something a little bit more focused on the portfolio problem.

  • Contemporary law has carried forward the same principle.

    Academic text (2016)
  • Now the pertinent fact that you need to carry forward from that last little piece is this.

  • Do not allow deficits to be carried forward to the next fiscal year.

    Academic text (1997)
  • What is the number one timeless lesson you learned and carried forward from selling sports cards as a teenager?

  • Any losses left over can be carried forward to future years.

Synonyms

to carry
vsto carry forward
535 3.4

Extend an effect into another place or time

moves amounts or items into the next period for continued use or counting
to carry over
vsto carry forward
14 3.5

To move something from one time or situation to a later one

is about moving items or amounts to the next period so they stay counted
to roll over
vsto carry forward
  • Specialized
9 5.3

To move money from one investment into another when the first ends

applies broadly to items or results beyond purely financial cases

Antonyms

130 2.7

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

How Long

to persist
61 3.5
to spill over
16 4.2
to carry forward
  • Specialized
4 3.7
to carry over
14 3.5
stop
310 1.0

Surface Forms

carry forward infinitive

Morphology

carry + forward

The meaning 'to move or transfer something into the next period' is directly derivable from combining 'carry' (to move or transport) with 'forward' (toward the future); the temporal transfer sense follows a common motion→time metaphor and standard verb+particle composition. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents, even if the usage is somewhat domain-specific (e.g., accounting).

Etymology

The phrasal verb carry forward creates the image of someone lifting an item (carry) and moving it forward into the next room, day, or year. So, it means 'to move or keep something so it continues into the next time', for example unused days or costs that are used later.