toward

preposition to·ward \ ˈtō-ərd , ˈtȯ(-ə)rd \

variants: or towards play \ˈtō-ərd(z), ˈtȯ(-ə)rd(z), tə-ˈwȯrd(z), ˈtwȯrd(z)\

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of toward

1 : in the direction of

driving toward town

2 a : along a course leading to

a long stride toward disarmament

b : in relation to

an attitude toward life

3 a : at a point in the direction of : near

a cottage somewhere up toward the lake

b : in such a position as to be in the direction of

your back was toward me

4 : not long before

toward the end of the afternoon

5 a : in the way of help or assistance in

did all he could toward raising campaign funds

b : for the partial payment of

proceeds go toward the establishment of a scholarship

See toward defined for English-language learners

See toward defined for kids

Examples of toward in a Sentence

The bus is heading toward town.
She took a step toward the door.
They live out towards the edge of town.
We're thinking of taking a vacation towards the end of the month.
Efforts toward peace have been largely unsuccessful.

Recent Examples of toward from the Web

The two players shared words and moved directly toward each other near the first base line.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs fall to Reds 5-4 in extra innings; Javier Baez involved in bench-clearing spat," 19 May 2018
On Friday, travelers were slowly moving toward the crossing, a bus arriving about every hour with people whose names appeared on lists provided by Hamas officials, who oversee who goes through the border.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "In humanitarian gesture, Egypt keeps Rafah crossing open through Ramadan," 18 May 2018
Lawmakers will begin a special legislative session at 6:30 p.m. Friday to consider allegations of misconduct against the governor and potentially move toward impeachment and removal from office.

— jason hancock, kansascity, "Greitens won’t face charges for allegedly lying to state ethics commission | The Kansas City Star," 18 May 2018
Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser most closely identified with tough policies toward China, is being excluded from meetings with the Chinese by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is leading the negotiations with Mr. Liu.

— mark landler, New York Times, "China Plans Up to $200 Billion in Trade Concessions, but Skepticism Abounds," 17 May 2018
Accordingly, people who see the black-white IQ gap as having no genetic component have cited it as reason to expect that the gap could move toward zero as average black living conditions approach average white living conditions.

— robert wright, WIRED, "Sam Harris and the Myth of Perfectly Rational Thought," 17 May 2018
Now, this classic tale of literal rags-to-riches is moving toward a new chapter— one that Supreme's founder, Feldenkreis, fears may be its last.

— rob wile, miamiherald, "He created Miami's most famous clothing company. Now he wants it back. | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018
Those in support say exploration would create thousands of high-paying jobs and move the U.S. toward energy independence.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "Forecast for your day at the beach Saturday: Sun, sand and protesters | Charlotte Observer," 17 May 2018
An unnamed source told Axios that Navarro is at odds over Mnuchin's policy toward China.

— bloomberg, latimes.com, "White House trade advisor Navarro said to be excluded from China talks due to Mnuchin rift," 16 May 2018

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

First Known Use of toward

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

toward Synonyms

Synonyms

about, apropos, apropos of, as far as, as for, as regards (also as respects), as to, concerning, of, on, regarding, respecting, touching;

Related Words

over;

Phrases

in regard to, in respect to, in view of, with regard to, with respect to;

toward

adjective to·ward \ ˈtō-ərd , ˈtȯ(-ə)rd \

Definition of toward

1 or less commonly towards play \ˈtō-ərdz, ˈtȯ(-ə)rdz\

[Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, preposition, toward, from tōweard, adjective]

a : coming soon : imminent

b : happening at the moment : afoot

2 a obsolete : quick to learn : apt

b : propitious, favoring

a toward breeze

Origin and Etymology of toward

Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard facing, imminent, from tō, preposition, to + -weard -ward

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

TOWARD Defined for English Language Learners

toward

preposition

Definition of toward for English Language Learners

: in the direction of (something or someone)
—used to indicate the direction faced by something
: near (a particular place)

TOWARD Defined for Kids

toward

preposition to·ward \ ˈtō-ərd , tə-ˈwȯrd \

variants: or towards \ˈtō-ərdz, tə-ˈwȯrdz\

Definition of toward for Students

1 : in the direction of

We're heading toward town.

2 : along a course leading to

They made efforts toward peace.

3 : in regard to

I like his attitude toward life.

4 : so as to face

Their backs were toward me.

5 : ²near

I awoke toward morning.

6 : as part of the payment for

She put money toward a new car.

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See words that rhyme with toward Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for toward Spanish Central: Translation of toward Nglish: Translation of toward for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of toward for Arabic speakers

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toward

Definition of toward

Examples of toward in a Sentence

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First Known Use of toward

toward Synonyms

Synonyms

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Phrases

toward

Definition of toward

Origin and Etymology of toward

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TOWARD Defined for English Language Learners

toward

Definition of toward for English Language Learners

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