Forward Contract
A cash market transaction in which delivery of the commodity is deferred until after the contract has been made. Although the delivery is made in the future, the price is determined on the initial trade date.
Investopedia Commentary
Most forward contracts don't have standards and aren't traded on exchanges. A farmer would use a forward contract to "lock-in" a price for his grain for the upcoming fall harvest.
Related Links
Futures Fundamentals
See also: Commodity, Currency Forward, Derivative, Forward Price, Forward Rate Agreement (FRA), Non-Deliverable Forward
forward contract