front end
Front end (noun) means the part of a website or application that runs in the user's own browser or device and produces everything they see and interact with. Example: “The front end loads instantly, but it is still waiting on data from the server.”
How to Use Front end
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe part of a website that happens in your browser, on your screen.
Written front end as a noun and front-end as a modifier; frontend as one word is common inside the industry.
A rough test: if the code runs on the visitor's device, it is front end; if it runs on the company's server, it is back end.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ loads instantly, but it is still waiting on data from the server.
Etymology
A compound of front and end, describing the part of a system nearest the user.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related Words
Rhymes for front end
See all rhymes for front end →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the front end and the back end?
The front end runs on the visitor's device and handles everything they see and click. The back end runs on a server and handles stored data, accounts, payments and business rules. The two communicate over the network, usually by sending requests and receiving data in reply.
Which languages are used for front-end work?
HTML for structure, CSS for presentation and JavaScript for behaviour are the three that browsers run directly. Frameworks and build tools are layered on top of them, but they all end up as those three.
What does full stack mean?
It describes someone who works on both the front end and the back end rather than specialising in one. It is a description of range, not a separate technology.