Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb At once; immediately.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • At once; without delay; directly.
  • In law, without delay; as soon as the thing required may be done by reasonable exertion confined to that object: in rules of legal practice, sometimes deemed equivalent to within twenty-four hours.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb Immediately; without delay; directly.
  • adverb (Law) As soon as the thing required may be done by reasonable exertion confined to that object.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb immediately; without delay

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from forth with, along with, at the same time as.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

forth- +‎ with

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Examples

  • The King summoned the twain forthwith, as he loved them for their fidelity and piety; and, sending for the woman, that he might hear from her own lips what she had to say against them, thus bespake her, “O woman, what hath betided thee from these two men in whom I trust?”

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Then bade he the Chamberlain forthwith go out and cause the tables to be spread and order all the troops thereto.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • With the exception of places like King County where some poll voting still occurs, the analysis can begin forthwith because in most cases, we won't see any additional counts from those counties for a day or two.

    Sound Politics: What to Expect: Early Local Results 2006

  • Detective Harry Bosch spent over twenty-five years with the department in his first tour and never once received a forthwith from the chief of police.

    Excerpt: The Closers by Michael Connelly 2005

  • A two-six is a forthwith from the chief's office, and any officer who knows and enjoys his position in the department will not delay.

    Excerpt: The Closers by Michael Connelly 2005

  • At any rate Miss Raeburn gathered that she was expected to try, and instead of pressing her brother for explanations she held her tongue, paid her call forthwith, and wrote her note.

    Marcella Humphry Ward 1885

  • "Dear sir, I hope your wardrobe is in order, for I am resolved to redeem my word forthwith, and to-night to carry you with me to an entertainment for which I have received an invitation.

    Simon Dale Anthony Hope 1898

  • I do not mean by that that every sincere woman is bound to become a Salvation Army Officer, or is called forthwith to go to the ends of the earth as a member of our Missionary Forces.

    The Angel Adjutant of "Twice Born Men" Minnie Lindsay Rowell Carpenter

  • GREETING: -- Whereas there are severall Persons com to Reside in our Towne and we feare a futer charge and as the Law directs to prevent such charge, you are Requested in his Majesty's name forthwith to warn the severall persons under wrighten: to depart out of our Town as the law directs to, least they prove a futer charge to the

    The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, Bay State Monthly, Volume 4, No. 4, April, 1886 Various

  • RESOLVED THEREFORE, _That in view of the facts set out in the foregoing preamble, it is the opinion of this meeting that a convention of the people should be called forthwith; that the State in its sovereign character should consult with the other Southern

    The Long Roll Mary Johnston 1903

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