SINCE 1828
onward
adverb
on·ward
| \ ˈȯn-wərd
, ˈän-\
, ˈän-\
variants:
or less commonly onwards \ ˈȯn-wərdz
, ˈän- \
, ˈän- \
Definition of onward
(Entry 1 of 2)
: toward or at a point lying ahead in space or time : forward
onward
adjectiveDefinition of onward (Entry 2 of 2)
: directed or moving onward : forward
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of onward in a Sentence
Adverb
They have lived in that house from 1983 onward. we must continue to move onward, or we will die in this desertRecent Examples on the Web: Adverb
From the revolutionary iPod and iPhone, through the death of Jobs and onward to its new frontier in wearable devices such as the Apple Watch and AirPods, the British designer has sat serenely at the center. — Tim Bradshaw, latimes.com, "Jony Ive’s exit from Apple raises questions about its future," 27 June 2019 From Season 2 and onward, filming of exterior shots of The Golden Girls house were done on a set in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "Here's What Really Happened to 'The Golden Girls' House," 25 June 2019 Every 10 seconds the field of vision gains a power of 10 — from 10 meters across, to 100, to 1,000 and onward. — Quanta Magazine, "To Solve the Biggest Mystery in Physics, Join Two Kinds of Law," 7 Sep. 2017 An even larger robot arm then flips the planter vertically and sends it onward to become one thin sliver of a 20-foot-tall wall of arugula, baby kale and beet leaves. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "With huge new vertical farm, Plenty’s produce could hit more shelves," 20 June 2019 While some air passes smoothly over and onward, some air masses crowd against the mountains themselves, left with nowhere to go but up. — Michelle Z. Donahue, National Geographic, "What is turbulence—and how can you calm down about it?," 12 June 2019 There in spirit, Fulk looked onward from a photo with a bright smile — and surrounded by bouquets of flowers — from her seat toward the front row as class president Timothy Johnson called for a moment of silence to honor his classmate’s memory. — Shannon Larson, courant.com, "Middletown grads remember classmate, are encouraged to stand up to their fears," 12 June 2019 From Game 4 onward, the Warriors’ deep rotation might actually benefit since Toronto might wear down. — Mark Medina, The Mercury News, "Warriors mailbag: Will Kevin Durant return in the NBA Finals?," 7 June 2019 From that time forward, a torturous and terrible, unnecessary and motion-starved epilogue had begun to stretch relentlessly onward, both in Moscow and throughout Nina’s travels. — Sarah Vitali, Harper's magazine, "Kill Your Darlings," 10 May 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
That is part of a phenomenon known as secondary or onward migration, made possible by what is essentially border-free travel through much of Europe within what is known as the Schengen area. — Steven Erlanger, New York Times, "E.U. Leader Warns of ‘Worst-Case Scenarios,’ Citing Trump," 27 June 2018 Upon arrival at Nadi International Airport you will be met by the guest relations officer from Laucala Island Resort who will assist you with your luggage and onward connecting flight. — Tom Ricketts, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Fiji," 5 Oct. 2016 The journalists were told that their onward travel would involve a 12-hour train ride, followed by a four-hour bus journey, and then a hike to get to the site, which is over 300 miles from Wonsan. — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, "For foreign journalists, a lengthy and bizarre journey to see a North Korean nuclear test site demolition," 24 May 2018 This is a straight-ahead trio for the ages, fed by a tension between Mr. Jarrett’s resolute, lapidary touch and the collective’s shape-shifting, onward drive. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, "The Playlist: Beyoncé and Jay-Z Unite, and 12 More New Songs," 2 Mar. 2018 Helen Maguire, director of consumer sales, said the airline is working with Irish tourism officials to encourage customers to spend a few days in Ireland before making onward connections. — Andrew Maykuth, Philly.com, "Aer Lingus cleared for takeoff at Philadelphia airport," 30 Jan. 2018 Notify the embassy of your whereabouts, status, and onward travel plans online via the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP. — Cynthia Drescher, CNT, "Bali's Mount Agung Volcano: What Travelers Should Know," 26 Sep. 2017 The animal was supposed to fly an onward leg to Kansas City, Mo., after landing at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport. — Fox News, "United Airline controversies: From revoking toddler's seat to David Dao’s removal," 6 July 2017 From there, a second study led by researchers from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla suggests that the island nations of the Caribbean became the springboard for Zika’s onward travel. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "What the DNA of the Zika virus tells scientists about its rapid spread," 25 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'onward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for onward
onward
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of onward
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to or toward what is ahead in space or time
onward
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of onward (Entry 2 of 2)
: moving toward the future or toward a more advanced state or condition
See the full definition for onward in the English Language Learners Dictionary
onward
adverb
on·ward
| \ ˈȯn-wərd
, ˈän-\
, ˈän-\
Kids Definition of onward
(Entry 1 of 2)
: toward or at a point lying ahead in space or time : forward
From then onward she trusted him.
The river flows onward to the coast.
onward
adjectiveKids Definition of onward (Entry 2 of 2)
: directed or moving forward
There's no stopping the onward march of time.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on onward
What made you want to look up onward? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Farm Idioms Quiz
-
- What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz -
Up in the Sky: A Quiz
It's a bird? It's a plane? No, I'm really asking. What is it?
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share onward
Resources for onward