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

The 1,300-pound predator was caught about 185 miles from the ocean and about 19 miles downstream from Katherine Gorge, a major tourist attraction outside the town of Katherine, the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife officials said. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Australian rangers trap gigantic saltwater crocodile after decade-long hunt, officials say," 10 July 2018 From there just work your way downstream, around the boulders past the series of pools. — Roger Naylor, azcentral, "Kid-friendly hikes around Arizona: Hit the trail with your family this summer," 28 June 2018 Started at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota and floated a few miles downstream, then came back. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty's Morning Line: You can't make the MLB Draft fun and Allegiant Air sucks," 4 June 2018 Fellow kayakers were able to reach the man after he was carried downstream out of the dangerous patch of water near Gold Bar, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Kayaker rescued from rough water in Skykomish River," 4 July 2018 The water eroded the barren hillside beneath the concrete, leading to fears the weir would collapse and release a 40-foot (12-meter) wall of water that would swamp communities and destroy levies for miles downstream. — Fox News, "California storm may test spillway at nation's tallest dam," 6 Apr. 2018 The silliest animal, recklessly swimming downstream. — Ashleigh Young, The Cut, "Ghost Knife," 2 July 2018 Cloudland Canyon State Park, 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn, Ga. 30738 gastateparks.org Cochran Mill Falls Bear Creek tumbles over Cochran Mill Falls before rushing downstream over another smaller waterfall, Henry Mill Falls. — Eric Champlin, ajc, "40 must-visit waterfalls in North Georgia," 14 June 2018 But downstream, all of those industries that rely on steel and aluminum to make their products, and of course all consumers who purchase these goods, are going to pay more. — Sean Illing, Vox, "Why you should give a shit about Trump’s tariffs, explained by an economic historian," 6 July 2018

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.

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Last Updated

13 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for downstream

The first known use of downstream was in 1706

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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

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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