outward
Americanadjective
-
proceeding or directed toward the outside or exterior, or away from a central point.
the outward flow of gold; the outward part of a voyage.
-
pertaining to or being what is seen or apparent, as distinguished from the underlying nature, facts, etc.; pertaining to surface qualities only; superficial.
outward appearances.
-
belonging or pertaining to external actions or appearances, as opposed to inner feelings, mental states, etc..
an outward show of grief.
-
that lies toward the outside; that is on the outer side; exterior.
an outward court.
-
of or relating to the outside, outer surface, or exterior.
to make repairs on the outward walls of a house.
-
pertaining to the outside of the body; external.
-
pertaining to the body, as opposed to the mind or spirit.
-
belonging or pertaining to what is external to oneself.
outward influences.
noun
-
that which is external; the external or material world.
-
outward appearance.
adverb
-
toward the outside; out.
-
visibly expressing one's inner feelings, mental state, etc.
-
away from port.
a ship bound outward.
-
Obsolete. on the outside; externally.
adjective
-
of or relating to what is apparent or superficial
-
of or relating to the outside of the body
-
belonging or relating to the external, as opposed to the mental, spiritual, or inherent
-
of, relating to, or directed towards the outside or exterior
-
(of a ship, part of a voyage, etc) leaving for a particular destination
-
-
the body as opposed to the soul
-
facetious clothing
-
adverb
-
(of a ship) away from port
-
a variant of outwards
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of outward
before 900; Middle English; Old English ūtweard. See out, -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.
“The Song of Stork and Dromedary” draws on the lives of Charlotte and Emily Brontë, but expands outward in a profusion of linked stories that leap over eras and continents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Meanwhile, “dark energy” seems to permeate every square inch of space, pushing outward and accelerating the universe’s expansion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
They are an organization built around sending girls outward into the world.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
Enormous quantities of material would have been thrown outward during the collision and redistributed across Deimos, burying many older surface features.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ama has her hand pushed outward, with an Adinkra symbol scratched into her palm—an illustration that looks like a flower petal with an open center.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
