downstream

adverb or adjective

down·stream | \ ˈdau̇n-ˈstrēm

Definition of downstream

1 : in the direction of or nearer to the mouth of a stream floating downstream located two miles downstream

2 : in or toward the latter stages of a usually industrial process or the stages (such as marketing) after manufacture improving profits downstream downstream products

3 biochemistry : toward the end of a series of cellular processes : following a linked molecular event occurring in a sequence But by looking downstream of the tumor suppressors [genes] at the proteins they influence, drug developers hope to find good targets.— Marcia Barinaga

Examples of downstream in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Just downstream from where the Zyryanka River flows into the mighty Kolyma, three huge tractor-trailers stand abandoned on the forested riverbank. — oregonlive, "In fast-thawing Siberia, radical climate change is warping the Earth beneath the feet of millions," 5 Oct. 2019 Just downstream from where the Zyryanka River flows into the mighty Kolyma, three huge tractor-trailers stand abandoned on the forested riverbank. — Anton Troianovski, Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, "In fast-thawing Siberia, radical climate change is warping the earth beneath the feet of millions," 4 Oct. 2019 Yet, recurring floods and landslides in the mountains, hills, and areas downstream (between the Ghats and the sea) show that India must rethink its environmental law to balance the needs of nature and humans. — Gayathri D Naik, Quartz India, "India, leave those forests on the mountains alone, lest you want to drown," 13 Sep. 2019 Several years ago, a flash flood swept through Fish Creek and Split Mountain, washing a truck several miles downstream. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Desert travelers should be wary of potential flash floods," 27 July 2019 Aerial footage Wednesday afternoon from Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Henry 1 helicopter showed much of the wine rushed through the creek and spilled into the river, lining the riverbank for several miles downstream. — Tribune News Service, oregonlive, "Nearly 100,000 gallons of red wine spills into California river," 24 Jan. 2020 The body had washed downstream and eventually came to rest on a log near a bridge over the creek, Sterling said. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Police identified the body found in an Erlanger creek as a Sparta, Kentucky woman," 23 Dec. 2019 Law officers on Friday rescued two adults and two children who also were in the truck swept downstream. — SFChronicle.com, "News of the Day From Across the Nation," 30 Nov. 2019 An emergency shellfish closure order has been issued by DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin for harvest areas downstream from the plant. — USA TODAY, "Rare black rhino born, dengue fever, ‘Santa Lady,’ disputed Lincoln hat: News from around our 50 states," 26 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downstream.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about downstream

Dictionary Entries near downstream

Statistics for downstream

Last Updated

17 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Downstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downstream. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for downstream

downstream

adverb or adjective

Financial Definition of downstream

What It Is

Downstream refers to the benefits (or costs) that will ultimately result from decisions made today.

How It Works

In finance, a series of investments might be made with the anticipation that at a point in time in the future these efforts will yield a series of returns. These returns occur after the initial investments. As a result, they are referred to as downstream benefits. Similarly, investments can have downstream "costs" as well. The expectation is that the downstream benefits will outweigh the downstream costs.

At the same time, because the future is hard to predict, downstream effects are often unanticipated, setting off unintended costs and consequences.

Why It Matters

It is important to consider the "downstream" effects of an investment decision since it will impact ones future economic performance.

Source: Investing Answers

downstream

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of downstream

: in the direction in which a stream, river, etc., flows

See the full definition for downstream in the English Language Learners Dictionary

downstream

adverb

down·stream | \ ˈdau̇n-ˈstrēm

Kids Definition of downstream

: in the direction a stream is flowing paddling downstream

Keep scrolling for more

downstream

adverb or adjective

down·stream | \ ˌdau̇n-ˈstrēm

Medical Definition of downstream

1 : in the same direction along a molecule of DNA or RNA as that in which transcription and translation take place and toward the end having a hydroxyl group attached to the position labeled 3′ in the terminal nucleotide a nucleotide sequence located downstream from the regulatory gene effects on the expression of downstream genes — compare upstream sense 1

2 : toward the end of a series of cellular processes : following a linked molecular event occurring in a sequence But by looking downstream of the tumor suppressors [genes] at the proteins they influence, drug developers hope to find good targets.— Marcia Barinaga, Science, 7 Nov. 1997 The tyrosine kinase activity of phosphorylated EGFR [epidermal growth factor receptor] in cancer cells results in the phosphorylation of downstream proteins that incite cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and inhibition of apoptosis.— Jonathan E. Dowell and John D. Minna, The New England Journal of Medicine, 24 Feb. 2005

Keep scrolling for more