Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.
Proto-Germanic *an
Proto-West Germanic *ana
Old English on
Middle English on
English on
Proto-Indo-European *wert-der.
Proto-Germanic *wardaz
Old English -weard
English -ward
English onward
From on + -ward.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Moving forward.
There was an onward rush as the gates opened.
Advanced in a forward direction or toward an end.
Within a while, Philoxenus came to see how onward the fruits were of his friend's labour. a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
most onward
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
more onward
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
onward en · ADV
Pronunciation
/ˈɑnwɚd/ Northern US or with the cot–caught merger
/ˈɔnwɚd/ Midland US, Southern US, without the cot–caught merger
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.
Proto-Germanic *an
Proto-West Germanic *ana
Old English on
Middle English on
English on
Proto-Indo-European *wert-der.
Proto-Germanic *wardaz
Old English -weard
English -ward
English onward
From on + -ward.
Meanings
(not-comparable) In a forward direction.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war... 1871, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”, Sabine Baring-Gould (lyrics):
[…] yonder cloud
That rises upward always higher,
And onward drags a labouring breast,
And topples round the dreary west,
A looming bastion fringed with fire. 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 24:
it in poi (In a forward direction) · hu tovább (In a forward direction) · mi ki mua (In a forward direction) · ko 앞으로 (In a forward direction) · es a partir de ahora (In a forward direction) · cy ymlaen (In a forward direction) · bg напред (In a forward direction) · mi whakamua (In a forward direction) · fi eespäin (In a forward direction) · es para adelante (In a forward direction) · it in avanti (In a forward direction) · he הָלְאָה (In a forward direction) · mr पुढे (In a forward direction) · hu előre (In a forward direction) · ar إِلَى الْأَمَام (In a forward direction) · hu előrehaladó (In a forward direction) · pl do przodu (In a forward direction) · ga ar aghaidh (In a forward direction) · nl vooruit (In a forward direction) · ru вперёд (In a forward direction) · la porrō (In a forward direction) · pt para diante (In a forward direction) · el προς τα εμπρός (In a forward direction) · pl w przód (In a forward direction) · pt a partir de agora (In a forward direction) · ga chun cinn (In a forward direction) · es hacia adelante (In a forward direction) · es de frente (In a forward direction) · sv framåt (In a forward direction) · pt avante (In a forward direction) · es en adelante (In a forward direction) · de vorwärts (In a forward direction) · ja 前へ (In a forward direction) · fr en avant (In a forward direction) · cmn 向前 (In a forward direction) · fi eteenpäin (In a forward direction)
onward en · VERB
Pronunciation
/ˈɑnwɚd/ Northern US or with the cot–caught merger
/ˈɔnwɚd/ Midland US, Southern US, without the cot–caught merger
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.
Proto-Germanic *an
Proto-West Germanic *ana
Old English on
Middle English on
English on
Proto-Indo-European *wert-der.
Proto-Germanic *wardaz
Old English -weard
English -ward
English onward
From on + -ward.
Meanings
(intransitive) To keep going; to progress or persevere.
A few more freshly pressed folk were in this line, and looked upon us with a mix of disgruntletude and admiration as we, led by me, onwarded directly up to what appeared to be a maître'd's stand. 2014, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Bombay Blues:
The aim of the preacher who in the best sense would be up-to-date should comprize the homiletic method which, while following in a degree the example of the fathers, tries to formulate truth in clear and philosophical statements, not essaying a muddy theology or priding itself on a vague, vacuous mysticism, communing with the great minds of the ages from Augustine down, learning something from each and following none slavishly, at every successive stage in the process of development being able distinctly to set forth th truth ascertained thus far, obeying the onwarding impulse of the true investigator without keeping things forever so "fluid" that no precipitate of dependable doctrine is ever rendered, […] 1907 March, C.A.S. Dwight, “The Concrete and the Idea”, in The Homiletic Review, volume 53, number 3, page 199:
Or of Kismet (?): whatever happens is pre-ordained, and one can "pass the buck" to something outside of oneself; to Allah, the inscrutable, I suppose, gaining one's spiritual calm from the feeling that the eternal onwardness is calmly onwarding; until little pain and little happiness become spread very very thin on the waters of time. 2010, William Davies King, Another Part of a Long Story, page 129:
(transitive) To pass (something) onward; to forward.
A typical example is AIA's endeavour to attract sea-air cargo originating from countries of the East Mediterranean sea: perishable shipments originally foreseen to be flown from Tel Aviv directly to the United States are occasionally shipped to Piraeus sea port and then trucked to AIA to be onwarded from there, instead of Tel Aviv, to the final destination. 2016, Michael Sales, Aviation Logistics, page 165:
Serious errors can also be comitted^([sic]) if the odour concentrations measured in working condition are onwarded without conversion to the technicians responsible for the odorizing systems and that because for the setting of the odorization concentrations referred to standard cubic meter are needed. 1986, G. J. van Rossum, G. S. Cribb, Gas Quality, page 398:
It is unfair to saddle Italy with persons rejected for immigration to the U.S., especially since these persons were allowed to enter Italy on the understanding that they would be immigrating to the U.S. Italy has been cooperative in every way possible in allowing persons to transit the country for onwarding processing. 1982, Report on the 49th Council Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration in Geneva and Refugee Matters in Austria and Italy, page 28:
We took the lot and patched them up before onwarding them back . 2019, John Broom, Faithful in Adversity:
The application has been delivered to the Nanking department of the Waichiaopu on January 19th for being kindly onwarded to Chungking. 1946 February 6, Karl Koesting, Letter from Karl Koesting to T.V. Soong: