downstream
Americanadverb
adjective
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of or relating to the latter part of a process or system.
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Genetics. with or in the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.
adverb
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in or towards the lower part of a stream; with the current
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(in the oil industry) of or for the refining, distribution, or marketing of oil or its derived products Compare upstream
Etymology
Origin of downstream
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.
Under the trust's ownership, the floodplain will enable the river to flow slower during heavy rainfall and will alleviate flooding downstream.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Cost-push inflation could create risks of further margin squeeze in some downstream sectors, Citi economists said in a recent note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"That uncertainty at leadership levels has downstream effects on the force," added Duffy, who had a 30-year career and commanded US warships before joining the White House during the second Obama administration.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Experts are still investigating the large volume of water that allowed the debris to travel far downstream.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
They were now downstream of the dam, but what they hadn’t realized was that it would hold back the seasonal floods that had once ensured yearly prosperity in the Lower Volta.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
