downward
Americanadverb
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Also downwards. from a higher to a lower place or condition.
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down from a source or beginning.
As the river flows downward, it widens.
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from a past time, predecessor, or ancestor.
The estate was handed downward from generation to generation.
adjective
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moving or tending to a lower place or condition.
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descending from a source or beginning.
adjective
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descending from a higher to a lower level, condition, position, etc
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descending from a beginning
adverb
Other Word Forms
- downwardly adverb
- downwardness noun
Etymology
Origin of downward
1150–1200; Middle English dounward, aphetic variant of adounward, Old English adūnweard. See down 1, -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.
The week of Tesla’s better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings report was the start of the downward streak.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
As recently as a few weeks ago, the path looked firmly downward.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The downward trend extends the loss of 42,000 jobs in L.A. between 2022 and 2024, the continued suffering of local sound stages and the offshoring of productions internationally.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Though these problems are at private companies, they may well put downward pressure on publicly traded stocks.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
The computer screen flickers, showing a tiny plane arcing downward from New York City to Los Angeles.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions 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.
