southward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

south·​ward ˈsau̇th-wərd 

: toward the south

southwards

ˈsau̇th-wərdz 

adverb

southward

2 of 2

noun

: southward direction or part

sail to the southward

Examples of southward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb or adjective

Even in neighborhoods where village residents' homes abut the city — and where sidewalks end often abruptly, in the middle of a subdivision — no one has publicly questioned why the walkways don't continue southward, Stigler said. —Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025

Even though Pyongyang and Moscow stopped reporting trade figures at the start of the Ukraine war, satellite imagery published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows unprecedented levels of grain and fuel pouring southward by rail from Russia into North Korea. —Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025

Noun

When given the sky, but still deprived of magnetic information, the moths overwhelmingly flew in the correct, migratory direction according to the season: north-northwest in fall, southwards in spring. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 June 2025

It was previously tracked on May 30 while sailing southward in waters east of the Philippines. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

southward

adverb or adjective

south·​ward

ˈsau̇th-wərd

: toward the south

southwards

-wərdz

adverb