Backward

How to spell backward

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce backward

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does backward mean?

1. adjectiveDirected toward the rear, or relating to a return to an earlier or less advanced state.
2. adverbToward the rear, or in the reverse of the usual order.

Backward in a sentence

• adjective

  The dancer made a slow backward movement to end the routine.

• adverb

  He stepped backward to let the trolley pass in the narrow aisle.

• adjective

  The report warned that the new policy was a backward step for the company.

• adverb

  She could recite the alphabet backward without any hesitation.

Where does backward come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built from two native English elements that go back to Old English. The first part is 'back', from Old English 'baec', meaning the rear part of the body or any object. The second part is the directional suffix '-ward', from Old English '-weard', which literally meant 'turned toward' and is related to the verb that gave us 'to turn'; the same suffix survives in 'toward', 'forward', and 'homeward'. Combined, the word first described motion or orientation toward the rear and later picked up figurative senses such as shy, reluctant, or lagging in development. Because both halves are plain Anglo-Saxon, the spelling is regular: just remember it ends in '-ward', not the plural-looking '-wards' form, which exists chiefly in British usage as a variant adverb.

How the word is built

• back (rear)
• -ward (suffix meaning 'in the direction of')