upstream

[uhp-streem]

adverb

1. toward or in the higher part of a stream; against the current.

adjective

1. directed upstream; situated upstream.

   an upstream journey; an upstream hideout.

2. Commerce.,  of or relating to the early stages in the operations of a business or industry, as exploration and production in the oil business (downstream ).

3. against or opposite to the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.

upstream

/ ˈʌpˈstriːm /

adverb

1. in or towards the higher part of a stream; against the current

2. (in the oil industry) of or for any of the stages prior to oil production, such as exploration or research Compare downstream

Word History and Origins

Origin of upstream¹

First recorded in 1675–85; up- + stream

Example Sentences

Tensions also have been growing between Iran and Afghanistan over the Helmand River, with Iranian leaders accusing their upstream neighbor of not letting enough water flow into the country.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It favors planters with significant Malaysian upstream operations, as they benefit from strong sensitivity to crude palm oil prices, while facing limited risk of land confiscation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The trust also said that the project site was the furthest upstream that salmon had been recorded in the River Ecclesbourne.

Read more on BBC

By 2035, around 25 million barrels a day of new oil projects will be required to keep markets in balance, with oil prices rising to incentivize additional upstream investment.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“But our upstream neighbors continue clinging to century-old legal positions that ignore today’s reality. Any proposal that doesn’t require every basin state to share in conservation is pure fantasy.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambitious 
• arduous 
• burdensome 
• challenging 
• crucial 
• demanding 
• laborious 
• onerous 
• painful 
• problematic 
• severe 
• strenuous 
• tough 
• troublesome