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

There could be sizable price swings next week, given that volumes are likely to be thin from Thursday onward due to Thanksgiving.

Read more on Barron's

“What a long way you have come. Per angusta ad augusta. Through adversity, we march onward to triumph. Remember, Penny, even a narrow and difficult road can lead to a high place.”

Read more on Literature

Step by step, Cassiopeia led her onward, until Penelope could stand it no longer.

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The first, in May, took travelers to Romania then onward to either Malaysia, Indonesia or South Africa—final destinations where Palestinians can travel visa-free or get a visa on arrival.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Or: Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones hold it together and Indianapolis’s Cinderella saga rolls onward.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.