onward
Americanadverb
-
toward a point ahead or in front; forward, as in space or time.
- Antonyms:
- backward
-
at a position or point in advance.
adjective
adjective
adverb
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
See forward.
Etymology
Origin of onward
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at on, -ward
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.
Tankers have been conducting so-called shuttle runs, carrying crude from Gulf oil terminals through the strait to vessels waiting outside, where it is transferred for onward delivery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"It appears that measures are being implemented to quarantine any potential contacts and prevent any onward transmission," Malick Gibani, clinical associate professor in bacterial vaccinology, Imperial College London, said in a commentary.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
It features — without a doubt — one of the best bridges and refrains of the year, and perhaps onward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
That’s unusual — with the U.S. summer-driving season ended, prices historically fall from September onward.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
From Cicero onward, it has been conventional to divide up the business of oratory into five basic parts—sometimes known as the “canons of rhetoric.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
