Word
northward
Phoneticsnorth·ward
US/ˈnɔɹθwɝd/
UK/nˈɔːθwəd/
Definition
adv. toward the north. You use this to describe the direction someone or something is moving.
adv. in a direction toward the north. Often functions as a directional modifier for verbs of motion.
Examples
“The birds fly northward every spring.”
“The hikers continued northward along the ridge until they reached the summit of the mountain.”
“As the storm front shifted northward, the coastal towns prepared for heavy rain and high winds that were expected to last throughout the night.”
Examples
simple
“The birds fly northward every spring.”
contextual
“The hikers continued northward along the ridge until they reached the summit of the mountain.”
complex
“As the storm front shifted northward, the coastal towns prepared for heavy rain and high winds that were expected to last throughout the night.”
Usage
Can be used as an adverb or an adjective; as an adverb, it typically follows the verb of motion.
Pitfall
They traveled to northward
They traveled northward
Northward is an adverb of direction and does not require the preposition 'to' before it.
Real-World Examples
“The northward shift of holidaymakers in Europe is not unique to Scotland or the Nordics.” “Then palms and other warmth-loving plants spread northward.” Etymology
From north + -ward.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/northward