toward

1 of 2

preposition

variants or towards
ˈtō-ərd(z) How to pronounce toward (audio)
ˈtȯ(-ə)rd(z),
tə-ˈwȯrd(z),
ˈtwȯrd(z)
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

toward

2 of 2

adjective

1
or less commonly towards [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

Examples of toward in a Sentence

Preposition 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 on the Web
Preposition
End of carousel The mini-explosion of AI mushrooms apps is emblematic of a larger trend toward adding AI into products that might not benefit from it — from tax software to therapy appointments. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 Rodriguez-Barroso ran toward the exit and climbed into the bed of a nearby pickup. Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2024 La Niñas often follow intense El Niños because of a phenomenon known as discharge, when heat on the equator migrates toward the poles and cold deep-ocean waters rise to take its place. Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 But congressional Democrats have taken another step toward pushing a tougher stance on immigration enforcement and pressing their GOP counterparts to take action. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 The Free Press spoke with 11 people from Michigan about their struggles, triumphs and paths toward understanding their condition ― and, finally, healing. Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 The Warriors had this game circled for at least a week: their I-5 rivals in enemy territory, with a chance to surpass them in the standings and take a step toward a coveted tie-breaker. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Gore remains hopeful, and encouraged by the world’s progress toward reversing the upward trend in warming temperatures that are shrinking sea ice, melting glaciers and increasingly flooding coastal communities around the globe. USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 In the Trump era, a surprising number of evangelicals are rejecting modesty and turning toward the risqué. Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Adjective
As the pressure has mounted, Paul and Ally have moved toward and away from each other. Peter Libbey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of toward was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near toward

Cite this Entry

“Toward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toward. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toward

preposition
to·​ward
variants or towards
(ˈ)tō(-ə)rd(z),
(ˈ)tȯ(-ə)rd(z),
tə-ˈwȯrd(z),
(ˈ)twȯrd(z),
(ˈ)twōrd(z)
1
: in the direction of
heading toward town
2
a
: along a course leading to
efforts toward peace
b
: in regard to
attitude toward life
3
: so as to face
turn the chair toward the window
4
: not long before : near
toward noon
5
: as part of the payment for
$100 toward a new sofa

More from Merriam-Webster on toward

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