downstream

[ doun-streem ]

adverb

1. with or in the direction of the current of a stream.

adjective

1. of or relating to the latter part of a process or system.
2. Genetics. with or in the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.

downstream

/ ˈdaʊnˈstriːm /

adverb

1. in or towards the lower part of a stream; with the current
2. (in the oil industry) of or for the refining, distribution, or marketing of oil or its derived products Compare upstream

Word History and Origins

Origin of downstream¹

First recorded in 1700–10; down ¹ + stream

Example Sentences

"Population matters. While developing countries continue to improve their standards of living, especially by bringing electricity to all, this should be done using renewable energy rather than burning coal, oil and gas. Because of the downstream effects on climate change, the real costs of using fossil fuels have not been properly appreciated. Indeed, there is a great need to decarbonize the economy of all nations and put an appropriate price on carbon emissions."

From Salon

But it also “does carry downstream risks or costs,” Schickler said, particularly given Trump’s penchant for “retribution politics” and outright threats to the state.

From Los Angeles Times

And in most of these cases elsewhere, the golden mussel’s range rapidly expanded up or downstream from the point of introduction — usually at a port and then through local, human-mediated pathways, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times

Limnoperna fortunei appear to have also found their way many miles downstream into O’Neill Forebay of the San Luis Reservoir, where officials in Merced County have been rapidly conducting genetic testing.

From Los Angeles Times

The legal challenge was based on a ruling, Finch v Surrey County Council, made in June 2024 which ruled that downstream emissions from the burning of fossil fuels extracted at a site or development must be assessed as part of an EIA for a planning application.

From BBC

Related Words

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