towards

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Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From toward +‎ -s. See -s (Etymology 3)

Pronunciation [edit]

  • (RP) IPA: /təˈwɔːdz/, X-SAMPA: /t@"wO:dz/
  • (GenAm) IPA: /tʊˈwɔːɹdz/, /twɔːɹdz/, /tɔːɹdz/, X-SAMPA: /tU"wO:r\dz/, /tO:r\dz/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)
  • Hyphenation: to‧wards

Preposition [edit]

towards (mainly in British English)

  1. Variant of toward.
    • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, 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.

Synonyms [edit]

Usage notes [edit]

  • Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words toward and towards, the difference is merely dialectal. Towards is the most common form, while toward tends to appear only in American English.

See also [edit]

Translations [edit]

toward — see toward

Adverb [edit]

towards (comparative more towards, superlative most towards)

  1. (obsolete) In the direction of something (indicated by context).
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.iv:
      Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily [...].

Adjective [edit]

towards (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward.
    • Shakespeare
      We have a trifling foolish banquet / Towards.

Statistics [edit]

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