rearward

[reer-werd for 1–4; reer-wawrd for 5]

See more synonyms for rearward on Thesaurus.com

adverb

Also rear·wards. toward or in the rear.

adjective

located in, near, or toward the rear.
directed toward the rear.

noun

a position at the rear: in the rearward of fashion.
the rear division of a military unit.

Origin of rearward

1300–50; Middle English rerewarde < Anglo-French. See rear¹, -ward

Related formsrear·ward·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for rearward

behind, backward, round, backwards, aback, abaft, about, around, astern, inverted

Examples from the Web for rearward

Historical Examples of rearward

Presently she grew tired of this, too, and moved to the rearward window.
In Kings' Byways
Stanley J. Weyman
Frontward was the small lake's grey water, rearward an avenue of limes.
The Amazing Marriage, Complete
George Meredith
Then twelve of them were as it were our Vanguard, other twelve, our Rearward.
Sir Francis Drake Revived
Philip Nichols
To recover they were fain, But now did Alvar Fañez on their rearward fall amain.
The Lay of the Cid
R. Selden Rose
I had to watch the road, of course, so could not turn to witness what was going on rearward.
"And That's How It Was, Officer"
Ralph Sholto

British Dictionary definitions for rearward

rearward

adjective, adverb

towards or in the rearAlso (for adverb only): rearwards

noun

a position in the rear, esp the rear division of a military formation

Word Origin for rearward

C14 (as a noun: the part of an army positioned behind the main body of troops): from Anglo-French rerewarde, variant of reregarde; see rearguard

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rearward

adv.

1590s, from rear (adj.) + -ward.