Front vs. Rear — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 30, 2023
The term "front" denotes the foremost part or side of something that is oriented in the direction of movement. Conversely, "rear" refers to the back part or side that is situated opposite to the front.
Difference Between Front and Rear
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Key Differences
Front generally refers to the part facing forward or the direction of movement, while rear denotes the opposite end.
Front can imply leadership or prominence, whereas rear often suggests a less prominent position.
In military contexts, front refers to the battle line, while rear means the area behind combat zones.
Front can also mean outward appearance, but rear doesn’t have a similar connotation.
Front is often used in social contexts to describe positions of visibility, while rear implies a more hidden position.
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Comparison Chart
Position
Forward-most part or side.
Back part or side.
Movement
Faces the direction of movement.
Opposite to the direction of movement.
Prominence
Often implies leadership or visibility.
Suggests a less prominent or hidden spot.
Military Usage
Refers to the battle line.
Denotes the area behind combat zones.
Social Context
Used to describe visible positions.
Implies a more concealed position.
Compare with Definitions
Front
Leadership Position
He took the front in the campaign.
Rear
Back Part
The garden is at the rear of the house.
Front
Outward Appearance
She puts on a brave front.
Rear
Support Position
He worked in the rear, managing supplies.
Front
Battle Line
The soldiers were at the front.
Rear
Behind Combat Zone
The medical unit was in the rear.
Front
The forward part or surface, as of a building.
Rear
A hind part.
Front
The area, location, or position directly before or ahead.
Rear
The point or area farthest from the front
The rear of the hall.
Front
A position of leadership or superiority.
Rear
The part of a military deployment usually farthest from the fighting front.
Front
The forehead or face, especially of a bird or other animal.
Rear
(Informal) The buttocks.
Front
Demeanor or bearing, especially in the presence of danger or difficulty.
Rear
Of, at, or located in the rear.
Front
An outward, often feigned, appearance or manner
They put up a good front.
Rear
To care for (children or a child) during the early stages of life; bring up. See Usage Note at raise.
Front
Land bordering a lake, river, or street.
Rear
To tend (growing plants or animals).
Front
A promenade along the water at a resort.
Rear
To build; erect.
Front
A detachable part of a dress shirt covering the chest; a dickey.
Rear
(Archaic) To lift upright; raise.
Front
The most forward line of a combat force.
Rear
To rise on the hind legs, as a horse.
Front
The area of contact between opposing combat forces; a battlefront.
Rear
To rise high in the air; tower.
Front
(Meteorology) The interface between air masses of different temperatures or densities.
Rear
(transitive) To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster.
Front
A field of activity
The economic front.
Rear
To breed and raise.
The family has been rearing cattle for 200 years.
Front
A group or movement uniting various individuals or organizations for the achievement of a common purpose; a coalition.
Rear
(intransitive) To rise up on the hind legs
The horse was shocked, and thus reared.
Front
A nominal leader lacking in real authority; a figurehead.
Rear
To get angry.
Front
An apparently respectable person, group, or business used as a cover for secret or illegal activities.
Rear
(intransitive) To rise high above, tower above.
Front
The first part; the beginning.
Rear
To raise physically or metaphorically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.
The monster slowly reared its head.
Front
The face; the countenance.
Rear
To construct by building; to set up
To rear defenses or houses
To rear one government on the ruins of another.
Front
Of, relating to, aimed at, or located in the front
The front lines.
The front row.
Front property on Lake Tahoe.
Rear
To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.
Front
(Linguistics) Designating vowels produced at or toward the front of the oral cavity, such as the vowels of green and get.
Rear
To lift and take up.
Front
To look out on; face
A house that fronts the ocean.
Rear
To rouse; to strip up.
Front
To meet in opposition; confront.
Rear
To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
Front
To provide a front for.
Rear
To sodomize perform anal sex
Front
To serve as a front for.
Rear
(transitive) To move; stir.
Front
(Music) To lead (a group of musicians)
"Goodman ... became the first major white bandleader to front an integrated group" (Bill Barol).
Rear
To carve.
Rear that goose!
Front
(Informal) To provide before payment
"In ... personal liability suits, a lawyer is fronting both time and money" (Richard Faille).
Rear
(regional, obsolete) To revive, bring to life, quicken. (only in the phrase, to rear to life)
Front
(Linguistics) To move (a word or phrase) to the beginning of a clause or sentence, typically for emphasis or contrast.
Rear
Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost
The rear rank of a company
Sit in the rear seats of a car
Front
(Linguistics) To cause (a vowel) to be pronounced farther toward the front of the oral cavity.
Rear
(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.
Front
To have a front; face onto something else
Her property fronts on the highway.
Rear
(of meats) Rare.
Front
To provide an apparently respectable cover for secret or illegal activities
Fronting for organized crime.
Rear
Early; soon
Front
Used by a desk clerk in a hotel to summon a bellhop.
Rear
The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order.
Front
The foremost side of something or the end that faces the direction it normally moves.
Rear
(military) Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
Front
The side of a building with the main entrance.
Rear
(anatomy) The buttocks or bottom.
Front
A field of activity.
Rear
Early; soon.
Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear?
Front
A person or institution acting as the public face of some other, covert group.
Officially it's a dry-cleaning shop, but everyone knows it's a front for the mafia.
Rear
The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order; - opposed to front.
Nipped with the lagging rear of winter's frost.
Front
(meteorology) The interface or transition zone between two airmasses of different density, often resulting in precipitation. Since the temperature distribution is the most important regulator of atmospheric density, a front almost invariably separates airmasses of different temperature.
We need to take the clothes off the line. The news reported a front is coming in from the east, and we can expect heavy rain and maybe hail.
Rear
Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear.
Front
(military) An area where armies are engaged in conflict, especially the line of contact.
Rear
Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company.
Front
(military) The lateral space occupied by an element measured from the extremity of one flank to the extremity of the other flank.
Rear
To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
Front
(military) The direction of the enemy.
Rear
To raise; to lift up; to cause to rise, become erect, etc.; to elevate; as, to rear a monolith.
In adoration at his feet I fellSubmiss; he reared me.
It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts.
Mine [shall be] the first hand to rear her banner.
Front
(military) When a combat situation does not exist or is not assumed, the direction toward which the command is faced.
Rear
To erect by building; to set up; to construct; as, to rear defenses or houses; to rear one government on the ruins of another.
One reared a font of stone.
Front
(historical) A major military subdivision of the Soviet Army.
Rear
To lift and take up.
And having her from Trompart lightly reared,Upon his courser set the lovely load.
Front
(dated) Cheek; boldness; impudence.
Rear
To bring up to maturity, as young; to educate; to instruct; to foster; as, to rear offspring.
He wants a father to protect his youth,And rear him up to virtue.
Front
(informal) An act, show, façade, persona: an intentional and false impression of oneself.
He says he likes hip-hop, but I think it's just a front.
You don't need to put on a front. Just be yourself.
Rear
To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.
Front
(historical) That which covers the foremost part of the head: a front piece of false hair worn by women.
Rear
To rouse; to stir up.
And seeks the tusky boar to rear.
Front
The most conspicuous part.
Rear
To rise up on the hind legs, as a horse; to become erect.
Front
The beginning.
Rear
The back of a military formation or procession;
Infantrymen were in the rear
Front
(UK) A seafront or coastal promenade.
Rear
The side of an object that is opposite its front;
His room was toward the rear of the hotel
Front
(obsolete) The forehead or brow, the part of the face above the eyes; sometimes, also, the whole face.
Rear
The part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer;
He stood at the back of the stage
It was hidden in the rear of the store
Front
The bellhop whose turn it is to answer a client's call, which is often the word "front" used as an exclamation.
Rear
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
Front
A grill jewellery worn on front teeth.
Rear
The side that goes last or is not normally seen;
He wrote the date on the back of the photograph
Front
Located at or near the front.
The front runner was thirty meters ahead of her nearest competitor.
Rear
Stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds;
The horse reared in terror
Front
Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the front of the mouth, near the hard palate (most often describing a vowel).
Rear
Bring up;
Raise a family
Bring up children
Front
Closest or nearest, of a set of futures contracts which expire at particular times, or of the times they expire; typically, the front month or front year is the next calender month or year after the current one.
Rear
Rise up;
The building rose before them
Front
To face (on, to); to be pointed in a given direction.
Rear
Cause to rise up
Front
(transitive) To face, be opposite to.
Rear
Construct, build, or erect;
Raise a barn
Front
(transitive) To face up to, to meet head-on, to confront.
Rear
Located in or toward the back or rear;
The chair's rear legs
The rear door of the plane
On the rearward side
Front
(transitive) To adorn with, at the front; to put on the front.
Rear
Raising
She reared three children.
Front
To pronounce with the tongue in a front position.
Rear
Backside
He bumped into the rear of the car.
Front
To move (a word or clause) to the start of a sentence (or series of adjectives, etc).
Front
To act as a front (for); to cover (for).
Front
(transitive) To lead or be the spokesperson of (a campaign, organisation etc.).
Front
(ambitransitive) Of an alter in dissociative identity disorder: to be the currently actively presenting member of (a system), in control of the patient's body.
Front
To provide money or financial assistance in advance to.
Front
To assume false or disingenuous appearances.
Front
To deceive or attempt to deceive someone with false or disingenuous appearances (on).
Front
(transitive) To appear before.
To front court
Front
The forehead or brow, the part of the face above the eyes; sometimes, also, the whole face.
Bless'd with his father's front, his mother's tongue.
Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front.
His front yet threatens, and his frowns command.
Front
The forehead, countenance, or personal presence, as expressive of character or temper, and especially, of boldness of disposition, sometimes of impudence; seeming; as, a bold front; a hardened front;
With smiling fronts encountering.
The inhabitants showed a bold front.
Front
The part or surface of anything which seems to look out, or to be directed forward; the fore or forward part; the foremost rank; the van; - the opposite to back or rear; as, the front of a house; the front of an army.
Had he his hurts before?Ay, on the front.
Front
A position directly before the face of a person, or before the foremost part of a thing; as, in front of un person, of the troops, or of a house.
Front
The most conspicuous part.
The very head and front of my offending.
Front
That which covers the foremost part of the head: a front piece of false hair worn by women.
Like any plain Miss Smith's, who wears s front.
Front
The beginning.
Front
All the works along one side of the polygon inclosing the site which is fortified.
Front
The middle of the upper part of the tongue, - the part of the tongue which is more or less raised toward the palate in the pronunciation of certain sounds, as the vowel i in machine, e in bed, and consonant y in you. See Guide to Pronunciation, 10.
Front
The call boy whose turn it is to answer the call, which is often the word "front," used as an exclamation.
Front
Of or relating to the front or forward part; having a position in front; foremost; as, a front view.
Front
To oppose face to face; to oppose directly; to meet in a hostile manner.
You four shall front them in the narrow lane.
Front
To appear before; to meet.
[Enid] daily fronted himIn some fresh splendor.
Front
To face toward; to have the front toward; to confront; as, the house fronts the street.
And then suddenly front the changed reality.
Front
To stand opposed or opposite to, or over against as, his house fronts the church.
Front
To adorn in front; to supply a front to; as, to front a house with marble; to front a head with laurel.
Yonder walls, that pertly front your town.
Front
To have or turn the face or front in any direction; as, the house fronts toward the east.
Front
The immediate proximity of someone or something;
She blushed in his presence
He sensed the presence of danger
He was well behaved in front of company
Front
The side that is forward or prominent
Front
The side that is seen or that goes first
Front
A sphere of activity involving effort;
The Japanese were active last week on the diplomatic front
They advertise on many different fronts
Front
The line along which opposing armies face each other
Front
A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals;
He was a charter member of the movement
Politicians have to respect a mass movement
He led the national liberation front
Front
(meteorology) the atmospheric phenomenon created at the boundary between two different air masses
Front
A person used as a cover for some questionable activity
Front
The outward appearance of a person;
He put up a bold front
Front
The part of something that is nearest to the normal viewer;
He walked to the front of the stage
Front
Be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to;
The house looks north
My backyard look onto the pond
The building faces the park
Front
Confront bodily;
Breast the storm
Front
Relating to or located in the front;
The front lines
The front porch
Front
Located anteriorly
Front
Forward Part
She sat in the front of the room.
Front
Facade of Building
The front of the house needs painting.
Common Curiosities
Can front imply leadership?
Yes, front can imply a leadership or prominent position.
What does front mean?
Front refers to the forward-most part or the side facing the direction of movement.
Is rear used to indicate a hidden spot?
Yes, rear often suggests a less visible or concealed spot.
What does rear mean in military contexts?
In military contexts, rear means the area behind the combat zones.
Is front used to describe positions in a room?
Yes, front is often used to describe forward-facing positions in a room.
What does rear mean?
Rear denotes the back part or side opposite the front.
How is front used in military terms?
In military terms, front refers to the battle line or combat area.
Can front mean outward appearance?
Yes, front can also denote outward appearance or facade.
Does front always mean the front side of something?
Usually, but front can also have metaphorical meanings like leadership.
Is rear used in architecture?
Rear is used in architecture to describe the back part of a building.
Is rear used in social contexts?
Rear is less commonly used in social contexts compared to front.
Can rear refer to the backside of a vehicle?
Yes, rear can refer to the backside of a vehicle or object.
Can rear imply support roles?
Yes, rear can imply support roles or positions behind the main action.
Do front and rear have opposite meanings?
In terms of position, they are often opposites, but they also have unique connotations beyond mere positioning.
Does front have multiple meanings?
Yes, front has various meanings including position, leadership, and facade.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
