toward

English

Etymology

From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to +‎ -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärts). Compare also Middle English tilward, tillward (“toward”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /təˈwɔːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): (historical) /tɔɹd/; (more recent) /ˈtwɔɹd/, /təˈwɔɹd/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): (historical) /to(ː)ɹd/; (more recent) /ˈtwo(ː)ɹd/, /təˈwɔɹd/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): (historical) /toəd/; (more recent) /ˈtwoəd/, /təˈwɔɹd/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /tɘˈwoːd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)d
• Hyphenation: to‧ward

Preposition

toward (now chiefly US)

1. In the direction of.

   She moved toward the door.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Numbers 24:1:

     [A]Nd when Balaam ſawe that it pleaſed the LORD to bleſſe Iſrael, hee went not, as at other times to ſeeke foꝛ inchantments, but hee ſet his face toward the wilderneſſe.

   • 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, “Accessary after the Fact”, in Nobody, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 1915, →OCLC, page 48:
   • 2019, Voice of America, Learning English‎ (public domain), archived from the original on 2019-03-11:

     Audio (US)

     (file)

     China has claimed that South Korea's dust flies toward Shanghai.

2. In relation to (someone or something).

   What are your feelings toward him?

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Deuteronomy 28:54:

     So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye ſhalbe euill toward his bꝛother, and toward the wife of his boſome, and towards the remnant of his childꝛen which he ſhall leaue:

3. For the purpose of attaining (an aim).

   I'm saving money toward retirement.

4. Located close to; near (a time or place).

   Our place is over toward the station.

   • a. 1746 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “To Mr. Gay”, in Thomas Sheridan and John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, , new edition, volume XII, London: J Johnson, , published 1801, →OCLC, page 92:

     I am toward nine years older since I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations; […]

Usage notes

• Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words toward and towards, the only difference in practice is dialectal. Toward is more common in American English and towards is more common in British English, though each form may be found in both varieties.

Alternative forms

• towards (UK)

Antonyms

• away from, froward, fromward

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

toward (not comparable)

1. Yielding, pliant; docile; ready or apt to learn; not froward.
2. (dated) Approaching, coming near; impending; present, at hand.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 304, column 1:

     Do you heare ought (Sir) of a Battell toward.

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “Practical Devotional”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk), page 70:

     On the morrow, after mass, our Lord Abbot [w:Samson of Tottington] orders the Cellerarius to send off his carpenters to demolish the said structure brevi manu, and lay up the wood in safe keeping. Old Dean Herbert, hearing what was toward, comes tottering along hither, to plead humbly for himself and his mill.

3. (obsolete or archaic) Promising, likely.
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 154, column 2:

     Clif[ford] Why that is ſpoken like a toward Prince.

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Description of the Farmer’s Daughter. ”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. , volume I, London: Benj Motte, , →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page :

     My Miſtreſs had a Daughter of nine Years old, a Child of toward Parts for her Age, very dextrous at her Needle, and ſkilful in dreſſing her Baby.

4. (obsolete) Future; to-come.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 238:

     But ear that wiſhed day his beame diſcloſd, / He either enuying my toward good, / Or of him ſelfe to treaſon ill diſpoſd / One day vnto me came in friendly mood, / And told for ſecret how he vnderſtood / […]

Synonyms

• (future): coming; see also Thesaurus:future
• (approaching): imminent, in the offing, proximate; see also Thesaurus:impending

Antonyms

• untoward

Derived terms

Further reading

• “toward”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “toward”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Anagrams

• to-draw, todraw

Middle English

Alternative forms

• towarde, towar, towart, touard, touarde, touwar, touward, touwarde, towerd, towert, taward, tawarde, tawart, twoward, tort, toweard, towearde, towerd, towarð, towweard, touwward

Etymology

From Old English tōweard, tōwærd; equivalent to to +‎ -ward.

Preposition

toward

1. In the direction of; toward.
   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The [Clerkys] Tale [of Oxenford]”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 184, verso, lines 783-784:

     Toward Saluces / shapyng hir iourney / ffro day to day / they ryden in hir wey […]

     Towards Saluzzo they make their journey, / From day to day they ride on their way

2. Into the presence of.
3. In proximity to; near, by.
4. In an exchange or communication with; to.
   • c. 1190 - 1215, Layamon, Laȝamon's Brut

     Þe while þe he spac touward Goden.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

5. Having a wont or tendency towards.
6. Similar to.
7. Subject to; under the control of.
8. Useful for; prepared for.

Derived terms

• as toward

Descendants

• English: toward

Adjective

toward

1. Future, forthcoming; to come.
2. Near at hand; imminent, nigh.
3. Moving forth.
4. of goodwill, benevolent; well-tempered, gentle.

Related terms

• towardnesse

Descendants

• English: toward

Adverb

toward

1. In a given direction, typically toward something specific.
2. Nearly, almost.

Derived terms

• toward and froward
• as toward

Related terms

• towardes

References

• “toward, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 15 April 2018.
• “toward, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 15 April 2018.
• “toward, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 15 April 2018.