westward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

west·​ward ˈwes-twərd How to pronounce westward (audio)
: toward the west
westwards
ˈwes-twərdz How to pronounce westward (audio)
adverb

westward

2 of 2

noun

: westward direction or part
sail to the westward

Examples of westward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb or adjective
For example, the lionfish was first recorded in the eastern Mediterranean in 2012 and has expanded rapidly westward. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on X that an unidentified object flying westward in the middle of the night was tracked in Polish airspace and an F-16 fighter jet was launched to identify and intercept it. — CBS News, 30 July 2026
Noun
Troy was the starting point of Odysseus’s calamitous 10-year westward voyage, with many detours and misadventures, to his kingdom of Ithaca. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 At the beginning of the Iron Age, Phoenicians set out westwards, searching for valuable natural resources to be brought back and traded in the urbanized world of the eastern Mediterranean. — Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for westward

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of westward was before the 12th century

Rhymes for westward

See All Rhymes for westward

Browse Nearby Words

West Virginian
westward
westwardly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Westward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westward. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

westward

1 of 2 adverb or adjective
west·​ward ˈwes-twərd How to pronounce westward (audio)
: toward the west
westwards
-twərdz How to pronounce westward (audio)
adverb

westward

2 of 2 noun
: westward direction or part

More from Merriam-Webster on westward

Nglish: Translation of westward for Spanish Speakers

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