westward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

west·​ward ˈwes-twərd How to pronounce westward (audio)
: toward the west
westwards adverb

westward

2 of 2

noun

: westward direction or part
sail to the westward

Examples of westward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb or adjective
High work quotas and a lack of opportunity in East Germany’s early years convinced millions to move westward. Samuel Clowes Huneke, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023 Another tropical wave that could develop was expected to move off Africa’s west coast by early next week and track westward. Leigh Morgan, al, 26 Aug. 2023 Luckily, the heat dome will shift westward next week, allowing for temperatures in the 90s to return. Kxas-Tv (nbc5), Dallas News, 23 Aug. 2023 Harold will continue to chug westward and into adjacent northern Mexico through the day. Matthew Cappucci and Ian Livingston, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 Northern Arizona has higher thunderstorm and flash flooding chances, mainly from Page to Flagstaff to Payson westward. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 22 Aug. 2023 Heavy rain and strong winds will continue to slam portions of southern Texas and Mexico as Harold tracks westward. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 22 Aug. 2023 Nazi racial policies after 1933 drove a wave of Jewish refugees westward to Britain and the United States. Dominic Green, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2023 This is a smear of warm water extending off the coast of South America westward into the Pacific. Matt Simon, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2023
Noun
And last week, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned that the Aedes albopictus species – which can transmit dengue and chikungunya – is pushing northwards and westwards in Europe as climate change grips the world’s fastest warming continent. Laura Paddison, CNN, 29 June 2023 The hurricane was moving west near 17 mph and a general westward to west-northwestward motion was forecast through Friday – followed by a general westward to west-southwestward motion. Julia Musto, Fox News, 19 Aug. 2021 Where the Saudis once shipped their oil westward, their biggest customer today is China. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2023 Fears that Europe could run low on natural gas this winter eased, sending fuel prices lower, after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Gazprom PJSC to ship more gas westward. Joe Wallace, WSJ, 28 Oct. 2021 To compensate for the visual gap left at the commanding southwest corner of the building, seven statues were shifted one pedestal westward, leaving Zoroaster in the place of Muhammad. Dan Bilefsky, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2023 Think of American settlers pushing their border westward (both on paper and through real-life violence), even as the natives continued to assert their right to the land. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2021 However, a slight westward shift in the storm track would result in a more impactful snow event for western IA and eastern NE. Judson Jones and Monica Garrett, CNN, 12 Jan. 2022 That decision was partly based on initial forecasts for a hurricane that had weakened into a tropical storm, as well as Ian’s westward and inland approach into the county, said Jim Judge, Volusia County’s emergency management director. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1596, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near westward

Cite this Entry

“Westward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westward. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

westward

1 of 2 adverb or adjective
west·​ward ˈwes-twərd How to pronounce westward (audio)
: toward the west
westwards adverb

westward

2 of 2 noun
: westward direction or part

More from Merriam-Webster on westward

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