onward

English

Etymology

on +‎ -ward

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒnwəd/
• (Northern US, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɑnwɚd/
• (Southern American English) IPA^(key): /ˈɔnwɚd/
• Hyphenation: on‧ward

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

onward (comparative more onward, superlative most onward)

1. (not comparable) Moving forward.

   There was an onward rush as the gates opened.

2. Advanced in a forward direction or toward an end.
   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, →OCLC:

     Within a while, Philoxenus came to see how onward the fruits were of his friend's labour.

Adverb

onward (not comparable)

1. In a forward direction.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XV, page 24:

     […] yonder cloud
     That rises upward always higher,
     ⁠And onward drags a labouring breast,
     ⁠And topples round the dreary west,
     A looming bastion fringed with fire.

   • 1871, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”, Sabine Baring-Gould (lyrics):

     Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war...

Synonyms

• onwards

Derived terms

• onward and upward

Translations

Verb

onward (third-person singular simple present onwards, present participle onwarding, simple past and past participle onwarded)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (intransitive) To keep going; to progress or persevere.
   • 1907 March, C.A.S. Dwight, “The Concrete and the Idea”, in The Homiletic Review, volume 53, number 3, page 199:

     The aim of the preacher who in the best sense would be up-to-date should comprize the homiletic method which, while following in a degree the example of the fathers, tries to formulate truth in clear and philosophical statements, not essaying a muddy theology or priding itself on a vague, vacuous mysticism, communing with the great minds of the ages from Augustine down, learning something from each and following none slavishly, at every successive stage in the process of development being able distinctly to set forth th truth ascertained thus far, obeying the onwarding impulse of the true investigator without keeping things forever so "fluid" that no precipitate of dependable doctrine is ever rendered, […]

   • 2010, William Davies King, Another Part of a Long Story, page 129:

     Or of Kismet (?): whatever happens is pre-ordained, and one can "pass the buck" to something outside of oneself; to Allah, the inscrutable, I suppose, gaining one's spiritual calm from the feeling that the eternal onwardness is calmly onwarding; until little pain and little happiness become spread very very thin on the waters of time.

   • 2014, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Bombay Blues:

     A few more freshly pressed folk were in this line, and looked upon us with a mix of disgruntletude and admiration as we, led by me, onwarded directly up to what appeared to be a maître'd's stand.

2. (transitive) To pass (something) onward; to forward.
   • 1946 February 6, Karl Koesting, Letter from Karl Koesting to T.V. Soong:

     The application has been delivered to the Nanking department of the Waichiaopu on January 19th for being kindly onwarded to Chungking.

   • 1982, Report on the 49th Council Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration in Geneva and Refugee Matters in Austria and Italy, page 28:

     It is unfair to saddle Italy with persons rejected for immigration to the U.S., especially since these persons were allowed to enter Italy on the understanding tyhat they would be immigrating to the U.S. Italy has been cooperative in every way possible in allowing persons to transit the country for onwarding processing.

   • 1986, G. J. van Rossum, G. S. Cribb, Gas Quality, page 398:

     Serious errors can also be comitted if the odour concentrations measured in working condition are onwarded without conversion to the technicians responsible for the odorizing systems and that because for the setting of the odorization concentrations referred to standard cubic meter are needed.

   • 2016, Michael Sales, Aviation Logistics, page 165:

     A typical example is AIA's endeavour to attract sea-air cargo originating from countries of the East Mediterranean sea: perishable shipments originally foreseen to be flown from Tel Aviv directly to the United States are occasionally shipped to Piraeus sea port and then trucked to AIA to be onwarded from there, instead of Tel Aviv, to the final destination.

   • 2019, John Broom, Faithful in Adversity:

     We took the lot and patched them up before onwarding them back .

Anagrams

• Rawdon, Rowand, Wondra, arownd, draw on