outward

[out-werd]

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. belonging or pertaining to external actions or appearances, as opposed to inner feelings, mental states, etc..

   an outward show of grief.

4. that lies toward the outside; that is on the outer side; exterior.

   an outward court.

5. of or relating to the outside, outer surface, or exterior.

   to make repairs on the outward walls of a house.

6. pertaining to the outside of the body; external.

7. pertaining to the body, as opposed to the mind or spirit.

8. belonging or pertaining to what is external to oneself.

   outward influences.

noun

1. that which is external; the external or material world.

2. outward appearance.

adverb

1. toward the outside; out.

2. visibly expressing one's inner feelings, mental state, etc.

3. away from port.

   a ship bound outward.

4. Obsolete.,  on the outside; externally.

outward

/ ˈaʊtwəd /

adjective

1. of or relating to what is apparent or superficial

2. of or relating to the outside of the body

3. belonging or relating to the external, as opposed to the mental, spiritual, or inherent

4. of, relating to, or directed towards the outside or exterior

5. (of a ship, part of a voyage, etc) leaving for a particular destination

6. 1. the body as opposed to the soul

   2. facetious,  clothing

adverb

1. (of a ship) away from port

2. a variant of outwards

noun

1. the outward part; exterior

Other Word Forms

• outwardness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of outward¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English ūtweard. See out, -ward

Example Sentences

Investigations in this area should begin by focusing on people who commit crimes before expanding outward to target any nonprofits or donors for aiding criminal acts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Data collected by the European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope show that our galaxy is not only rotating and wobbling but also sending out a vast wave that travels outward from its center.

Read more on Science Daily

They came from outward observations and hidden impulses, from other writers and his own imagination, from the past and a sense of unfathomable mystery.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brick buildings in particular tend to fall outward, so running out of one during an earthquake could be particularly risky, structural engineers say.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At its heart lies a supermassive black hole that draws in matter from nearby space and propels some of it outward in colossal plasma jets filled with radiation, heat, magnetic fields, and heavy particles.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• apparent 
• noticeable