Basics

Front Month

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Nearest expiration

What is Front Month?

Front Month The nearest expiration month. Front-month options have the highest theta decay and are most sensitive to gamma. Also called near-term.

Complete Definition

The nearest expiration month. Front-month options have the highest theta decay and are most sensitive to gamma. Also called near-term.

Related Terms

Back Month Expiration Date Theta

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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