toward

American  

[tawrd, tohrd, tuh-wawrd, twawrd, twohrd, tawrd, tohrd] / tɔrd, toʊrd, təˈwɔrd, twɔrd, twoʊrd, tɔrd, toʊrd /

preposition

1. in the direction of.

   to walk toward the river.

2. with a view to obtaining or having; for.

   They're saving money toward a new house.

3. in the area or vicinity of; near.

   Our cabin is toward the top of the hill.

4. turned to; facing.

   Her back was toward me.

5. shortly before; close to.

   toward midnight.

6. as a help or contribution to.

   to give money toward a person's expenses.

7. with respect to; as regards.

   his attitude toward women.

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adjective

1. about to come soon; imminent.

2. going on; in progress; afoot.

   There is work toward.

3. propitious; favorable.

4. Obsolete.

   1. promising or apt, as a student.

   2. compliant; docile.

toward British  

adjective

1. rare  in progress; afoot

2. obsolete  about to happen; imminent

3. obsolete  promising or favourable

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preposition

1. a variant of towards

toward Idioms  

1. see go a long way toward.

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Other Word Forms

• towardness noun

Etymology

Origin of toward

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tōweard; equivalent to to + -ward

Example Sentences

On a conceptual basis, this reflects consensus estimates “already implicitly” shifting at least 10 points of AI market share toward Broadcom when looking at the second half of 2026 and the whole of 2027, Arya said.

From MarketWatch

AWS capex as a percentage of revenue has increased from 41% in 2024 to an estimated 77% in 2025, but Helfstein expects that to trend toward 56% in 2027, “effectively returning towards historical norms.”

From MarketWatch

At the latter, now called the Kariye Mosque, Muslim worshipers kneeling on the carpeted floor and praying toward Mecca are flanked by 14th-century mosaics of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

From The Wall Street Journal

That could lead some investors to shift within AI toward those big-tech issuers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ticket sales go toward paying the bands and funding Backyard Party and Altadena Musicians’ venue upkeep and programs.

From Los Angeles Times