downward

American  

[doun-werd] / ˈdaʊn wərd /

adverb

1. Also downwards. from a higher to a lower place or condition.

2. down from a source or beginning.

   As the river flows downward, it widens.

3. from a past time, predecessor, or ancestor.

   The estate was handed downward from generation to generation.

---

adjective

1. moving or tending to a lower place or condition.

2. descending from a source or beginning.

downward British  

/ ˈdaʊnwəd /

adjective

1. descending from a higher to a lower level, condition, position, etc

2. descending from a beginning

---

adverb

1. a variant of downwards

Other Word Forms

• downwardly adverb
• downwardness noun

Etymology

Origin of downward

1150–1200; Middle English dounward, aphetic variant of adounward, Old English adūnweard. See down ¹, -ward

Example Sentences

With oil used for energy and transport, another downward pressure on prices could be the resumption of global shipping through the Red Sea.

From BBC

The instructors guided us through a series of poses including “downward wolf.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But investors appeared skeptical out of the gate, with shares falling at the opening bell and continuing their downward slide into midday trading.

From MarketWatch

In a low-ceiling basement lined with combustible finishes—as Le Constellation seems to have been—a small fire can rapidly generate a superheated smoke layer near the ceiling that gradually expands downward.

From The Wall Street Journal

All three added transfers to help buck the downward trend.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• descending
• downwards