What is meant by forward reaction?
This phrase comes from Le Châtelier's Principle. Given a reversible reversible reaction, you may (arbitrarily) choose which chemicals to consider the reactants/products, since the reaction goes from both the reactants to the products and from the products to the reactants. Simply put, the forward reaction starts with what you consider to be the reactants. The reverse reaction starts with the products and ends with the reactants. If you flip the equation these names change.