inward
Americanadverb
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toward the inside, interior, or center, as of a place, space, or body.
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into or toward the mind or soul.
He turned his thoughts inward.
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Obsolete.
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on the inside or interior.
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in the mind or soul; mentally or spiritually.
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adjective
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proceeding or directed toward the inside or interior.
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situated within or in or on the inside; inner; internal.
an inward room.
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pertaining to the inside or inner part.
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located within the body.
the inward parts.
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pertaining to the inside of the body.
inward convulsions.
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inland.
inward passage.
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mental or spiritual; inner.
inward peace.
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muffled or indistinct, as the voice.
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private or secret.
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closely personal; intimate.
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Archaic. pertaining to the homeland; domestic.
noun
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the inward or internal part; the inside.
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inwards, the inward parts of the body; entrails; innards.
adjective
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going or directed towards the middle of or into something
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situated within; inside
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of, relating to, or existing in the mind or spirit
inward meditation
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of one's own country or a specific country
inward investment
adverb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inward
before 900; Middle English; Old English inweard. See in, -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.
The Eddington limit is a theoretical benchmark describing the point at which the outward pressure produced by radiation balances the inward pull of gravity.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Importantly, turning the toes inward or outward without professional assessment is not the same as receiving personalized gait retraining.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
It was as if the two songwriters were turning inward in reaction to putting on the biggest stadium tour in history to that point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
When Germany's finances are in trouble and the country turns inward because of a political crisis, the knock-on effect beyond its borders can be considerable.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Like pilgrims in a fable swallowed up and lost among the inward parts of some granitic beast.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
