Standard Lemma guide

outwards

adv · 3 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.

  • US: /ˈaʊtwɚdz/
  • UK: /ˈaʊtwədz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈæotwɘdz/
  • CMU ARPABET: AW1 T W ER0 D Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

From the interior toward the exterior; in an outward direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Outwardly; (merely) on the surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

toward the outside

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • move the needle further outward!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outward

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English outwardes, from Old English ūtweardes; equivalent to outward + -s or out + -wards. Cognate with German auswärts.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: навън (navǎn) — in an outward direction
  • Macedonian: на́надвор (nánadvor) — in an outward direction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utover — in an outward direction
  • Portuguese: para fora — in an outward direction
  • Portuguese: para o lado de fora — in an outward direction
Real reading context

outwards in complete knowledge articles