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-wards. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-wards, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-wards in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-wards you have here. The definition of the word
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-wards, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English -wardes, from Old English -weardes, a variant of -weard; equivalent to -ward + -s (adverbial suffix).
Pronunciation
- (unstressed)
- (stressed, in the word "towards" only)
Suffix
-wards
- Forming adjectives and adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backwards", "towards", etc.
1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu”, in The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., , →OCLC:(Katisha:) At once I go Mikado-wards!
Usage notes
- The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used with adverbs, though -ward is heavily favoured for adjectives.
- Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since (earlier sithens), etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially.
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