toward

1 of 2

preposition

to·​ward ˈtō-ərd  ˈtȯ(-ə)rd 

variants or towards

ˈtō-ərd(z) 

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

to·​ward ˈtō-ərd  ˈtȯ(-ə)rd 

1

or less commonly towards

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

Synonyms

Preposition

• about
• apropos
• apropos of
• as far as
• as for
• as regards
• as respects
• as to
• concerning
• of
• on
• regarding
• respecting
• touching

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

The only consensus is that the current march toward anarchy will grind on and civilians will bear the cost. —Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023

Threats and assaults toward Jewish, Muslim, pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students on college campuses have been on the rise since the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel and the counterattacks in Gaza that have followed. —Laura Strickler, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2023

Sanders came charging forward, leaped in front of Jones, made the interception and took off toward the end zone. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023

The number of migrants entering Europe this year soared to levels not seen since 2016, amplifying the far right’s rallying cry against migrants and prodding mainstream politicians toward harder lines. —Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023

Some businesses are turning toward parametric policies, a type of coverage that pays in response to specific weather events and with a less intense adjustment process, Hillwood’s Chambers said. —Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023

As is typical with many of his shows, the concert gets underway with some more traditional jazz before a fifth member of the quintet joins in on percussion, so there’s plenty of sublime stuff here whether your tastes run toward the Latin flavor or not. —Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023

On Friday, June Steenkamp opened up in a victim impact statement obtained by PEOPLE and urged the parole board panels to take measures toward fairly evaluating an inmate’s rehabilitation by determining whether the convicted is truly remorseful. —Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023

Sixty-two percent of Asian American voters either identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared to 34% who lean toward the Republican Party, according to a May report by the Pew Research Center. —Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023

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 More

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard facing, imminent, from tō, 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

Phrases Containing toward

• count toward/towards
• go toward(s)
• have an eye to/toward
• go a long way toward/towards
• point toward
• with an eye toward

• count toward/towards
• go toward(s)
• have an eye to/toward
• go a long way toward/towards
• point toward
• with an eye toward

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