onward

American  

[on-werd, awn-] / ˈɒn wərd, ˈɔn- /

adverb

1. toward a point ahead or in front; forward, as in space or time.

   Antonyms:

   backward

2. at a position or point in advance.

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adjective

1. directed or moving onward or forward; forward.

   Antonyms:

   backward

onward British  

/ ˈɒnwəd /

adjective

1. directed or moving forwards, onwards, etc

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adverb

1. a variant of onwards

Usage

What does onward mean? Onward means about the same thing as forward—toward a point ahead or in the future.It can be used in the context of travel through physical space or through time, but it is perhaps most commonly used when discussing progress toward a goal.Onward can be used as either an adverb or an adjective. When used as an adverb, onward typically comes after the verb, as in We traveled onward. When onward is used as an adverb, it is interchangeable with onwards (which is only used as an adverb).It can be used to refer to all the time after a certain point, as in These records are from 1950 onward. It can also be used as a kind of command or word of encouragement meaning something like move on, as in Onward, scouts! We need to reach camp before nightfall.Onward appears in the phrase onward and upward, which is usually used in the context of progress or success.Example: If we don’t keep moving onward and innovating, we’ll never be able to compete in this market.

Related Words

See forward.

Etymology

Origin of onward

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; on, -ward

Example Sentences

The South Korean steelmaker is likely to pass through February-March cost increases from 2Q onward, the analyst writes in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal

How much of the oil Total has agreed to sell onward couldn’t be learned, but the massive position may amount to a bet that Asian refiners will pay top dollar for scarce supplies.

From The Wall Street Journal

The players returning to Iran were at a hotel in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur awaiting their onward travel.

From Barron's

The group said 2026 would be a year of realignment and it aims to return to sales and profit growth expected from next year onward.

From The Wall Street Journal

MSC said it would try to help customers identify and organise the most appropriate onward route, for which a mandatory surcharge of $800 per container will apply, to cover associated additional operational and logistical costs.

From Barron's