onward

[on-werd, awn-]

adverb

1. toward a point ahead or in front; forward, as in space or time.

   Antonyms: backward

2. at a position or point in advance.

adjective

1. directed or moving onward or forward; forward.

   Antonyms: backward

onward

/ ˈɒnwəd /

adjective

1. directed or moving forwards, onwards, etc

adverb

1. a variant of onwards

Word History and Origins

Origin of onward¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; on, -ward

Synonym Study

See forward.

Example Sentences

"It is quite clear that you were tasked with ensuring the safety of the consignment and its onward transmission," the judge said.

From BBC

Another passenger, Monazza Aslam, said she had been sat on the tarmac for over an hour "with no idea when we will fly", and had already missed her onward connection at Doha.

From BBC

From before the Revolution onward, physical punishment or even killing were ways to enforce belonging, to mark the boundary between insiders and outsiders, and to decide who had the right to govern.

From Salon

"If you're on that journey, please continue onward, because I promise there are brighter days ahead."

From BBC

The BBC can reveal international cartels are taking advantage of trade and security arrangements in Ireland to offload drugs at sea for onward transport.

From BBC

Related Words

• onwards 

When To Use

What does onward mean?

Onward means about the same thing as forward—toward a point ahead or in the future.It can be used in the context of travel through physical space or through time, but it is perhaps most commonly used when discussing progress toward a goal.Onward can be used as either an adverb or an adjective. When used as an adverb, onward typically comes after the verb, as in We traveled onward. When onward is used as an adverb, it is interchangeable with onwards (which is only used as an adverb).It can be used to refer to all the time after a certain point, as in These records are from 1950 onward. It can also be used as a kind of command or word of encouragement meaning something like move on, as in Onward, scouts! We need to reach camp before nightfall.Onward appears in the phrase onward and upward, which is usually used in the context of progress or success.Example: If we don’t keep moving onward and innovating, we’ll never be able to compete in this market.