toward

1 of 2

preposition

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
Afterward, Mullis flung the car seat and Alijah's body toward the other side of the seawall to get rid of all the evidence. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 That's the driving reason behind a global effort to transition toward batteries. Camila Domonoske, NPR, 23 Sep. 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 See all Example Sentences for toward 

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 4 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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