northward

American  

[nawrth-werd, nawr-therd] / ˈnɔrθ wərd, ˈnɔr ðərd /

adverb

1. Also northwards, northwardly. toward the north.

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adjective

1. Also northwardly. moving, bearing, facing, or situated toward the north.

noun

1. the northward part, direction, or point.

northward British  

/ ˈnɔːðəd, ˈnɔːθwəd /

adjective

1. moving, facing, or situated towards the north

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noun

1. the northward part, direction, etc; the north

adverb

1. a variant of northwards

Other Word Forms

• northwardly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of northward

before 1100; Middle English; Old English northweard. See north, -ward

Example Sentences

Worries about inflation and the war in Iran have sent long-term interest rates northward, with the 30-year Treasury yield recently eclipsing 5%.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

All of those properties stand close to Coronado’s wide, sandy beaches — which means they all face challenges as waters are often fouled by the northward flow of untreated sewage from greater Tijuana.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Weekend trips into nearby Hartford, where no venues imposed racial segregation, contrasted with everything King had seen in his native Atlanta, and with the discriminatory conditions he had endured on his rail journey northward.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

As rain then spreads northward across England and Wales, it meets the colder Artic air we have had in place over the past week, resulting in the rain turning to snow by Thursday evening.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

And ever men looked northward, asking: ‘Where are the Riders of Rohan?’

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien