frontend
frontend — adjective
- frontendpositive
- more frontendcomparative
- most frontendsuperlative
1. happening, paid, or needed at the very start of a project, deal, or activity, be
happening, paid, or needed at the very start of a project, deal, or activity, before any later stages take place
The company paid a frontend fee of two thousand dollars before construction began.
collocation: frontend fee / frontend cost / frontend payment
A frontend investment of this size requires approval from the board of directors.
collocation: frontend investment
Rohan's team completed the frontend work on the research project in just three weeks.
The contract clearly lists all frontend expenses that the buyer must cover.
- upfront
more common in everyday business language; 'an upfront fee'
- initial
broader in meaning; 'initial costs' can cover early stages without implying a contrast with backend
- preliminary
slightly more formal
- backend
refers to later stages or costs that come after the initial phase
用法筆記
Frequently combined with nouns describing money or effort like cost, fee, payment, investment, or work.
常見錯誤
2. relating to the parts of a website, computer program, or app that a person can s
relating to the parts of a website, computer program, or app that a person can see and use directly, such as buttons, menus, and forms
Megan joined the team to work on frontend development for the new shopping app.
collocation: frontend development / frontend engineer / frontend framework
The frontend interface of the website was redesigned to help customers find products more easily.
Kenji specializes in frontend code that controls how buttons and menus appear on the screen.
A good frontend framework can make a website load faster on mobile phones.
- client-side
more technical; describes code that runs in the user's browser rather than on a server
- user-facing
describes the same concept from a user-experience perspective
- backend
describes server-side code, databases, and logic that users do not see
用法筆記
Often used as part of job titles (frontend developer, frontend designer) or combined with technology terms (frontend framework, frontend library).
常見錯誤
frontend — noun
- frontendsingular
- frontendsplural
1. the parts of a website, app, or computer program that the person using it sees a
the parts of a website, app, or computer program that the person using it sees and interacts with directly, including menus, buttons, forms, and on-screen controls
Soraya spent the afternoon redesigning the frontend of the travel booking website.
verb + frontend: redesign / build / optimize / test the frontend
The app's frontend is built with modern tools that work well on phones and tablets.
Users complained that the frontend was slow, so the team optimized the code.
Omar prefers working on the frontend because he enjoys creating visual layouts.
The frontend needs to be tested on different browsers before the new update goes live.
- UI (user interface)
shorter and more general; can refer to any interactive system, not just software
- client side
more technical; focuses on where the code runs
- interface
broader; can include hardware or non-digital systems
- backend
the server-side part of the software that users do not see or interact with directly
用法筆記
Often contrasted with backend, which refers to the server-side logic and databases. In modern web development, frontend commonly implies HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code that runs in the browser.
常見錯誤
2. the area or part of a physical object, building, or vehicle that faces forward o
the area or part of a physical object, building, or vehicle that faces forward or is nearest to the front
The frontend of the old theater was decorated with bright lights for the opening night.
the frontend of [building / vehicle / object]
Damage to the frontend of the car was visible after the accident on the highway.
Sirin parked her bicycle near the frontend of the train station.
The frontend of the museum faces a large park with fountains and benches.
- rear
the back part of a physical object, building, or vehicle
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (software): this sense refers to physical, real-world objects. The opposite is the backend or rear of the object.
3. the first part or early period of a business agreement or financial arrangement,
the first part or early period of a business agreement or financial arrangement, especially when money or resources are provided before any profit is earned
The partners put three million into the frontend of the venture before seeing any returns.
collocation: in the frontend of [a venture / a deal / an agreement]
Liam handled the negotiations during the frontend of the deal.
Most of the project's financial risk lies in the frontend, before the product reaches customers.
The frontend of the agreement required both sides to share the early legal costs equally.
- early stage
more general; used across many contexts, not just business
- initial phase
slightly more formal; emphasizes a structured sequence
- later stage
the period after the initial phase when returns or results begin to appear
用法筆記
Common in legal and financial writing. Unlike sense 1 of the adjective, this noun sense refers to the period itself rather than the costs incurred during it.