1
: relating to, occurring in, or required at the beginning of an undertaking or business transaction
no front-end charge at the time of investment
He pays close attention to financial matters and can speak the language of "front-end money," "back-end money" and the rest of it.—Erik Hedegaard
compare back-end sense 1
2
computing
: visible to the user of a device or service
a front-end application/interface
compare back-end sense 2
plural front ends
1
: the front part or section of something
Soon the front end of the ship began to go down and down, faster and faster—till the boat looked almost as though it were standing on its head.—Hugh Lofting
2
computing
a
: a unit in a computer system devoted to controlling the data communications link between terminals and the main computer and often to the preliminary processing of data
b
: a software interface (such as a graphical user interface) designed to enable user-friendly interaction with a computer
… you'll want to use this well-designed, easy-to-use front end for Windows' obscure command-line tools.—Edward Mendelson
compare back end sense 3
3
: the initial part or period of a business arrangement or financial undertaking
Once a record company has sunk a lot of money on the front end of a project, with big-name producers and an expensive video, she says, "They're afraid of spending money on anything else."—Mimi Valdés
In sum, the initiative aims to force … residents to pay more of their own fire protection expenses, and to pay those expenses on the front end.—David Sirota
compare back end sense 2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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