upward

adverb up·ward \ ˈəp-wərd \

variants: or upwards play \ˈəp-wərdz\

Definition of upward

1 a :in a direction from lower to higher

the kite rose upward

b (1) :toward the source (as of a river)

(2) :toward the interior (as of a region)

c :in a higher position

held out his hand, palm upward

d :in the upper parts :toward the head :above

from the waist upward

2 :toward a higher or better condition or level

young lawyers moving upward

3 a :to an indefinitely greater amount, figure, or rank

from $5 upward

b :toward a greater amount or higher number, degree, or rate

attendance figures have risen upward

4 :toward or into later years

from youth upward

See upward defined for English-language learners

See upward defined for kids

Examples of upward in a Sentence

The road gradually rose upward.
She directed my gaze upward.
They are moving upward socially and economically.
moving upward in the corporate world

Recent Examples of upward from the Web

With every Insta-girl that upward-scrolled past, the more my face started to seem too pedestrian, too uneventful, too earnestly natural.

— perrie samotin, Glamour, "8 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Getting Lip Injections," 4 Aug. 2017
But another study from the Family Research Council says the cost of surgery and hormones for transgender service members could cost upward of $3.7 billion over the next 10 years.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Is it wrong to bar transgender people from military service?," 27 July 2017
The descent of her fingers felt more like a lifting, a leap upward that freed a selection of notes that resolved everything and nothing.

— Longreads, "I’ve Found Her," 27 July 2017
Previous tests have involved HiFiRE being lofted upward on an Orion sounding rocket with an S-30 rocket as a first stage.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. and Australia Conducted a Secretive Hypersonic Missile Test," 18 July 2017
At the Italian Table, located at 2359 Frankfort Ave., is Stipo's version of an authentic Italian restaurant, where people dine at community tables and where one meal can last upward of two hours.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Not just a tour: Louisville restaurateur leads guests on life-changing trips through Italy," 11 July 2017
The tree’s outer branches held sparse smaller ones that were bare and gray, like fingers reaching upward toward the sky, while the lower branches were thick arms that extended out from the wide trunk as if offering me a welcoming hug.

— marc and sonja raciti, sandiegouniontribune.com, "I considered suicide because of PTSD," 6 July 2017
Clancy came and went, doing various movements on my back, moving upward.

— nicole tsong, The Seattle Times, "Bowen therapy’s light touch can improve alignment, ease pain and increase range of motion," 3 July 2017
Deng isn't needed on top of Andrew Wiggins and Butler, both of whom will be logging upward of 35 minutes per game.

— k.c. johnson, chicagotribune.com, "As Tom Thibodeau puts band back together, Bulls, Timberwolves go in different directions," 2 July 2017

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

First Known Use of upward

before 12th century

upward

adjective

Definition of upward

1 :directed toward or situated in a higher place or level :ascending

2 :rising to a higher pitch

—

upwardly

adverb

—

upwardness

noun

See upward defined for English-language learners

Examples of upward in a Sentence

an upward revision of the vote tally

Recent Examples of upward from the Web

The result is a healthy upward revision from the government's initial estimate of 2.6 percent growth in the second quarter.

— chicagotribune.com, "U.S. economic growth upgraded to 3 percent rate in Q2," 30 Aug. 2017
At the same time, members of the middle class in emerging countries will fight to ensure that their upward progress continues and that their governments provide better public services.

— moisés naím, The Atlantic, "The Uprising of the Global Middle Class," 25 Aug. 2017
Mahomes, who was shifted from third-team QB to the second team after the Chiefs’ first preseason game, is on an upward track.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "As Patrick Mahomes settles in, a little discomfort is serving Chiefs’ Alex Smith well," 21 Aug. 2017
This doc allowed this infection to fester for over a year, all the time providing 65 physical therapy treatments to attempt to obtain more than 90 degrees of upward movement of the arm.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: 250,000 die annually of medical mistakes," 9 Aug. 2017
Their data show that the share of single-parent families in an area is a particularly strong predictor of low upward mobility.

— edward l. glaeser, National Review, "The War on Work — and How to End It," 1 Aug. 2017
Institutions with higher percentages of students from lower income families are creating more pathways to upward mobility, by providing an education that will allow those students to ascend to middle and high income brackets, Norris added.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Do universities educate all, or just the well-off? UNO highlighted in study," 13 July 2017
Always prone to mood swings, and especially to fits of depression, Russell maintained his upward climb through medication, therapy and sobriety.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "'I was just gone.' After manic episode, Lebowski Fest founder Will Russell embraces recovery," 5 July 2017
That's unlikely to happen in iOS 11, as all recent notifications will appear on your lock screen with an upward swipe.

— philip michaels senior editor, Fox News, "iOS 11 hands-on: Here’s how it changes your iPhone," 3 July 2017

First Known Use of upward

15th century

UPWARD Defined for English Language Learners

upward

adverb

Definition of upward for English Language Learners

: from a lower place or level to a higher place or level
: toward the ceiling, sky, etc.
: toward a higher or better condition or position

upward

adjective

Definition of upward for English Language Learners

: moving or going from a lower place or level to a higher place or level
: moving or going toward the ceiling, sky, etc.
: changing to a larger amount or higher number

UPWARD Defined for Kids

upward

adverb up·ward \ ˈəp-wərd \

variants: or upwards \-wərdz\

Definition of upward for Students

1 :in a direction from lower to higher

The balloon floated upward.

2 :toward a higher or better state

3 :toward a greater amount or a higher number or rate

4 :toward the head

From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat's …
—C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

upward

adjective

Definition of upward for Students

:turned toward or being in a higher place or level

an upward gaze

an upward movement of prices

—

upwardly

adverb

Learn More about upward

Spanish Central: Translation of upward Nglish: Translation of upward for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of upward for Arabic speakers

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Examples of upward in a Sentence

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First Known Use of upward

upward

Definition of upward

upwardly

upwardness

Examples of upward in a Sentence

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First Known Use of upward

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UPWARD Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of upward for English Language Learners

upward

Definition of upward for English Language Learners

UPWARD Defined for Kids

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Definition of upward for Students

upward

Definition of upward for Students

upwardly

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