Standard Lemma guide

clockwise

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • klŏk'wīz
  • /ˈklɒkwaɪz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒkwaɪz
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AA1 K W AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Moving clockwise; having rotary motion in the manner of a clock.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • In the southern hemisphere the flow of air around a low-pressure system is clockwise.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In a curve or twist corresponding to the movement of the hands of a clock.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Turn the handle clockwise to open it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

in the same direction as the rotating hands of a clock

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: counterclockwise

4

adverb

Meaning 4

in the direction that the hands of a clock move

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • please move clockwise in a circle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: counterclockwise

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English clock Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *wéydos Proto-Indo-European *weyd-s-ós Proto-Germanic *wīsaz Proto-Germanic *-wīsaz Proto-West Germanic *-wīs Old English -wīs Middle English -wis English -wise English clockwise From clock + -wise.

Across languages

Translations

86 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 順時針 /顺时针 (shùnshízhēn) — moving clockwise
  • Esperanto: dekstruma — moving clockwise
  • Georgian: საათის ისრის მიმართულებით მოძრავი (saatis isris mimartulebit moʒravi) — moving clockwise
  • German: Uhrzeigersinn — moving clockwise
  • Greek: δεξιόστροφος (dexióstrofos) — moving clockwise
  • Hebrew: כיוון השעון (kivún hasha'ón) — moving clockwise
  • Indonesian: arah jam — moving clockwise
  • Malay: ikut arah jam — moving clockwise
  • Māori: whakatekaraka — moving clockwise
  • Polish: zgodny z ruchem wskazówek zegara — moving clockwise
  • Polish: prawoskrętny — moving clockwise
  • Spanish: dextrógiro — moving clockwise
  • Spanish: dextrorso — moving clockwise
  • Spanish: horario — moving clockwise
  • Tagalog: pataknaan — moving clockwise
  • Welsh: clocwedd — moving clockwise
  • Ahtna: cʼaʼaałdzeʼ — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Arabic: بِإِتِّجَاه عَقَارِب السَّاعَة (biʔittijāh ʕaqārib as-sāʕa) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Bulgarian: по посока на часовнковата стрелка (po posoka na časovnkovata strelka) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Catalan: en el sentit horari — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Chinese Mandarin: 順時針 /顺时针 (shùn shízhēn) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Czech: po směru hodinových ručiček — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Danish: med uret — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Dutch: rechtsom — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Dutch: met de klok mee — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Dutch: in wijzerzin — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Esperanto: dekstrume — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Esperanto: horloĝdirekte — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Estonian: päripäeva — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Finnish: myötäpäivään — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • French: dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • French: dans le sens horaire — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Galician: en sentido das agullas do reloxo — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Galician: en sentido horario — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Georgian: საათის ისრის მიმართულებით (saatis isris mimartulebit) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • German: im Uhrzeigersinn — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Greek: δεξιόστροφα (dexióstrofa) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Greek: κατά τη φορά των δεικτών του ρολογιού (katá ti forá ton deiktón tou rologioú) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Hebrew: כיוון השעון (kivún hasha'ón) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Hindi: दक्षिणावर्त्त (dakṣiṇāvartt) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Hungarian: az óra járásával megegyező irányba — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Indonesian: searah jarum jam — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Indonesian: arah jam — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Irish: deiseal — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Italian: in senso orario — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Japanese: 右回り (migimawari) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Japanese: 時計回り (tokei-mawari) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Korean: 시계 방향 (sigye banghyang) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Malay: ikut arah jam — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Māori: whakatekaraka — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norman: auve lé solé — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norman: comme lé solé — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norwegian: medurs — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norwegian Bokmål: med klokken — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: med klokka — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: medsols — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rettsøles — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Polish: zgodnie z ruchem wskazówek zegara — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Polish: prawoskrętnie — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Portuguese: no sentido horário — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Portuguese: no sentido dos ponteiros do relógio — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Romanian: în sens orar — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Romanian: în sensul acelor de ceasornic — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Russian: по часово́й стре́лке (po časovój strélke) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Russian: по́солонь (pósolonʹ) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Scottish Gaelic: deiseil — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Slovak: v smere ručičiek — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: en el sentido de las agujas del reloj — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: en sentido horario — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: dextrorsamente — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: dextrógiramente — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: conforme a las manecillas del reloj — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Spanish: en el sentido del reloj — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Swedish: medurs — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Swedish: medsols — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Tagalog: pataknaan — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Tamil: வலஞ்சுழி (valañcuḻi) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Thai: ตามเข็มนาฬิกา — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Turkish: saat yönünde — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Ukrainian: за годиннико́вою стрі́лкою (za hodynnykóvoju strílkoju) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Ukrainian: за годиннико́вою вказі́вкою (za hodynnykóvoju vkazívkoju) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Urdu: بائیں سے دائیں (bāẽ se dāẽ) — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Vietnamese: theo chiều kim đồng hồ — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Welsh: yn glocwedd — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Welsh: yn null cloc — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Welsh: i'r dde — in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Real reading context

clockwise in complete knowledge articles