toward

American  

[tawrd, tohrd, tuh-wawrd, twawrd, twohrd, tawrd, tohrd] / tɔrd, toʊrd, təˈwɔrd, twɔrd, twoʊrd, tɔrd, toʊrd /

preposition

1. in the direction of.

   to walk toward the river.

2. with a view to obtaining or having; for.

   They're saving money toward a new house.

3. in the area or vicinity of; near.

   Our cabin is toward the top of the hill.

4. turned to; facing.

   Her back was toward me.

5. shortly before; close to.

   toward midnight.

6. as a help or contribution to.

   to give money toward a person's expenses.

7. with respect to; as regards.

   his attitude toward women.

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adjective

1. about to come soon; imminent.

2. going on; in progress; afoot.

   There is work toward.

3. propitious; favorable.

4. Obsolete.

   1. promising or apt, as a student.

   2. compliant; docile.

toward British  

adjective

1. rare in progress; afoot

2. obsolete about to happen; imminent

3. obsolete promising or favourable

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preposition

1. a variant of towards

toward Idioms  

1. see go a long way toward.

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Other Word Forms

• towardness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of toward

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tōweard; equivalent to to + -ward

Example Sentences

Toward that end, Pulisic is about to become omnipresent, pitching shoes, sports drinks, beer, hamburgers, yogurt and crackers, among other things, during the World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

Toward the end of the briefing, someone—maybe his top political strategist dressed in a reporter costume—asked Rubio, “What is your hope for America at a time such as this?”

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Toward the end of Netflix’s “Into the Manosphere,” documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux chats in Marbella, Spain, with British influencer Ed Matthews.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Toward the end of the flyby, the astronauts will experience a rare phenomenon: a solar eclipse.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Toward the afternoon it began to snow again and they made camp early and crouched under the leanto of the tarp and watched the snow fall in the fire.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy