upward
Americanadverb
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toward a higher place or position.
The birds flew upward.
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toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc..
His employer wishes to move him upward in the company.
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to a greater degree; more.
fourscore and upward.
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toward a large city, the source or origin of a stream, or the interior of a country or region.
They followed the Thames River upward from the North Sea to London.
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in the upper parts; above.
adjective
idioms
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of upward
before 900; Middle English; Old English upweard (cognate with Dutch opwaart ). See up-, -ward
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If inflation shows new momentum upward, the Fed can tighten money then.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
With further tech sector investment in the Southern California region, the upward trend may continue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"In the absence of any positive headlines on negotiations to reopen the strait, pressure on oil prices has been upward," wrote Jason Wong at BNZ.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
That mixing could help magnetic fields move quickly from the surface upward into the Sun's atmosphere.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
When he was completely under the boy, Moose swam upward.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
