toward
Americanpreposition
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in the direction of.
to walk toward the river.
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with a view to obtaining or having; for.
They're saving money toward a new house.
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in the area or vicinity of; near.
Our cabin is toward the top of the hill.
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turned to; facing.
Her back was toward me.
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shortly before; close to.
toward midnight.
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as a help or contribution to.
to give money toward a person's expenses.
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with respect to; as regards.
his attitude toward women.
adjective
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about to come soon; imminent.
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going on; in progress; afoot.
There is work toward.
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propitious; favorable.
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Obsolete.
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promising or apt, as a student.
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compliant; docile.
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adjective
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rare in progress; afoot
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obsolete about to happen; imminent
-
obsolete promising or favourable
preposition
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of toward
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tōweard; equivalent to to + -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.
People line up and turn toward one another in pairs to salsa dance, then shift to breakdancing, spinning on their heads and flipping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Most recently, the war is pulling away a key American warship, as the Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington heads toward the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Quitterer and ETH Zurich are now searching for a company interested in helping move the compound toward the next stages of drug development.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The USS George Washington, the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, is being pulled from the western Pacific and sent toward the Middle East to replace the Lincoln.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
When there is a rumbling in the distant hills, both men turn toward the sound.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
