FromMiddle Englishtoward, fromOld Englishtōweard, fromProto-West Germanic*tōward, equivalent toto +‎-ward. Cognate withMiddle Low Germantôwart,Middle Dutchtoewaert (ModernDutchtoewaarts),Middle High Germanzuowart,zūwart (ModernGermanzuwärts). Compare alsoMiddle Englishtilward,tillward(“toward”).

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/təˈwɔːd/
• (General American)IPA^(key):/tɔɹd/,/ˈtwɔɹd/,/təˈwɔɹd/

  • Audio(US);/ˈtwɔɹd/:

    (file)

• (rhotic,without thehorse–hoarse merger)IPA^(key):/to(ː)ɹd/,/ˈtwo(ː)ɹd/,/təˈwɔɹd/
• (non-rhotic,without thehorse–hoarse merger)IPA^(key):/toəd/,/ˈtwoəd/,/təˈwɔd/
• (New Zealand)IPA^(key):/tɘˈwoːd/
• Rhymes:-ɔː(ɹ)d
• Hyphenation:to‧ward

toward(now chieflyUS)

1. In the direction of.

   She movedtoward the door.

   • 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Numbers24:1:

     [A]Nd when Balaam ſawe that it pleaſed the LORD to bleſſe Iſrael, hee went not, as at other times to ſeeke foꝛ inchantments, but hee ſet his facetoward the wilderneſſe.

   • 1914 November,Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, inMunsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.:The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published1915,→OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact),page382, column 1:

     Turning back, then,toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

   • 2019,Voice of America,Learning English‎^[1] (public domain), archived fromthe original on2019-03-11:

     Audio(US):

     (file)

     China has claimed that South Korea's dust fliestoward Shanghai.

2. In relation to (someone or something).

   What are your feelingstoward him?

   • 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Deuteronomy28:54:

     So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye ſhalbe euill toward his bꝛother, andtoward the wife of his boſome, and towards the remnant of his childꝛen which he ſhall leaue:

3. For the purpose of attaining (an aim).

   I'm saving moneytoward retirement.

4. Located close to; near (a time or place).

   Our place is overtoward the station.

   • a.1746 (date written),Jonathan Swift, “To Mr. Gay”, inThomas Sheridan,John Nichols, editors,The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XII, London:[…]J[oseph] Johnson, […], published1801,→OCLC,page92:

     I amtoward nine years older since I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations;[…]

• Although some have tried to discern asemantic distinction between the wordstoward andtowards, the only difference in practice is dialectal.Toward is more common inAmerican English andtowards is more common inBritish English, though each form may be found in both varieties.

• towards(UK)

• awayfrom,froward,fromward

toward (notcomparable)

1. Yielding,pliant;docile; ready orapt to learn; notfroward.
2. (dated)Approaching,comingnear;impending;present,at hand.
   • c.1603–1606,William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene v],page304, column 1:

     Do you heare ought (Sir) of a Battelltoward.

   • 1843 April,Thomas Carlyle, “Practical Devotional”, inPast and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.:Charles C[offin] Little andJames Brown, published1843,→OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk),page70:

     On the morrow, after mass, our Lord Abbot [Samson of Tottington] orders the Cellerarius to send off his carpenters to demolish the said structurebrevi manu, and lay up the wood in safe keeping. Old Dean Herbert, hearing what wastoward, comes tottering along hither, to plead humbly for himself and his mill.

3. (obsolete orarchaic)Promising,likely.
   • c.1591–1592 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene ii],page154, column 2:

     Clif[ford] Why that is ſpoken like atoward Prince.

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Description of the Farmer’s Daughter. […]”, inTravels into Several Remote Nations of the World.[…][Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London:[…]Benj[amin] Motte, […],→OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag),page[178]:

     My Miſtreſs had a Daughter of nine Years old, a Child oftoward Parts for her Age, very dextrous at her Needle, and ſkilful in dreſſing her Baby.

4. (obsolete)Future;to-come.
   • 1590,Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], London:[…] [John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC,page238:

     But ear that wiſhed day his beame diſcloſd, / He either enuying mytoward good, / Or of him ſelfe to treaſon ill diſpoſd / One day vnto me came in friendly mood, / And told for ſecret how he vnderſtood /[…]

• (future):coming; see alsoThesaurus:future
• (approaching):imminent,in the offing,proximate; see alsoThesaurus:impending

• untoward

• “toward”, inMerriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.:Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “toward”, inDictionary.com Unabridged,Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

• to-draw,todraw

• towarde,towar,towart,touard,touarde,touwar,touward,touwarde,towerd,towert,taward,tawarde,tawart,twoward,tort,toweard,towearde,towerd,towarð,towweard,touwward

FromOld Englishtōweard,tōwærd; equivalent toto +‎-ward.

toward

1. In the direction of;toward.
   • 1387–1400,[Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The [Clerkys] Tale [of Oxenford]”, inThe Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion:National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410],→OCLC,folio 184, verso, lines783-784:

     Toward Saluces / shapyng hir iourney / ffro day to day / they ryden in hir wey[…]

     TowardsSaluzzo they make their journey, / From day to day they ride on their way[…]

2. Into the presence of.
3. Inproximity to;near,by.
4. In an exchange or communication with;to.
   • c. 1190 - 1215,Layamon,Laȝamon's Brut

     Þe while þe he spac touward Goden.

     (pleaseadd an English translation of this quotation)

5. Having awont ortendency towards.
6. Similar to.
7. Subject to; under the control of.
8. Useful for; prepared for.

• as toward

• English:toward

toward

1. Future,forthcoming;to come.
2. Nearat hand;imminent,nigh.
3. Movingforth.
4. ofgoodwill,benevolent;well-tempered,gentle.

• towardnesse

• English:toward

toward

1. In a given direction, typically toward something specific.
2. Nearly,almost.

• toward and froward
• as toward

• towardes

• “toward,prep.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007, retrieved15 April 2018.
• “toward,adj.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007, retrieved15 April 2018.
• “toward,adv.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007, retrieved15 April 2018.