leftward

American  

[left-werd] / ˈlɛft wərd /

adverb

1. Also leftwards. toward or on the left.

---

adjective

1. situated on the left.

2. directed toward the left.

leftward British  

/ ˈlɛftwəd /

adjective

1. on or towards the left

---

adverb

1. a variant of leftwards

Other Word Forms

• leftwardly adverb

Etymology

Origin of leftward

First recorded in 1475–85; left ¹ + -ward

Example Sentences

But the more detailed survey data indicate that the party’s core voters have moved leftward and kept going.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

We’ve been hearing an awful lot about her as a deeply principled person who is slowly drifting leftward.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2025

Both represented a growing effort to push policies leftward at City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2023

“The late vote count tends to reflect the closing sentiment of the elections, regardless of whether it’s a rightward or a leftward shift,” Madrid said.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2022

Finally, in many cases a quantifier naturally floats leftward away from the verb, unsplitting the infinitive, as in the examples on the right: It seems monstrous to even suggest the possibility.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker