towards

English

Etymology

From Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, tōwærdes, equivalent to toward +‎ -s (adverbial suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /təˈwɔːdz/, [tʰə̥ˈwɔːdz]

  (traditional) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔːdz/

• (General American) IPA^(key): /tʊˈwɔɹdz/, /ˈtɔɹdz/, /ˈtoʊɚdz/, [tʰə̥ˈwɔɹ̠d̠z], [tʰw̥ɔɹ̠d̠z]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /tɘˈwoːdz/, [tʰɘ̥ˈwoːdz], [tʰw̥oːdz]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)dz, -oːdz
• Hyphenation: to‧wards

Preposition

towards

1. Alternative form of toward

   Synonym: toward

   Antonyms: fromward, fromwards

   • 1835, Sir John Ross, Sir James Clark Ross, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1, pages 284–5:

     Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.

   • 1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, page 752:

     To the left towers the Jungfrau, with the train heading directly towards it.

   • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0-2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

     But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.

Usage notes

• Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words toward and towards, the only difference in practice is dialectal. Toward is more common in American English and towards is more common in British English, though each form may be found in both varieties.

Derived terms

• count towards
• gear towards
• go towards
• lean towards
• pay towards
• with an eye towards

Translations

toward — see toward

See also

• See Adverbial genitive

Adverb

towards (not comparable)

1. In the direction of something (indicated by context).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily […]

Adjective

towards (not comparable)

1. Near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:

     We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.

Middle English

Preposition

towards

1. Alternative form of towardes