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.
Never one to take his mediocrity on the chin, Waititi deflected the negativity outward, which, as we know, always paints someone in a good light!
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
By combining the observations from both telescopes, the researchers reconstructed the structure of Betelgeuse's outer layers, beginning just above its visible surface and extending outward to several times its radius.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
America remains the gold standard for carrier operations, but China’s deployments have extended steadily outward, ship movements tracked by Japan and shared with the Journal show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Home prices in urban Los Angeles are far more expensive than those in the suburbs, despite a shift in homebuyers moving outward from the city, Redfin data show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Each splintered bar bent gracefully outward, like the petal of a chrysanthemum, and in the center of the empty cage lay one small golden feather.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
