Downstream

How to spell downstream

10 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce downstream

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does downstream mean?

1. adverbIn or toward the direction in which a stream or river flows.
2. adjectiveRelating to the later stages of a process, supply chain, or industry, such as refining and distribution.

Downstream in a sentence

• adverb

  The canoe drifted downstream for several miles before they pulled ashore.

• adjective

  The company invested heavily in downstream refining and retail operations.

• adverb

  The village lies a few kilometres downstream from the dam.

• adjective

  A delay in production has downstream effects on shipping and delivery.

Where does downstream come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a transparent English compound, joining the native Old English elements 'dun', meaning 'down' or 'downward', and 'stream', from Old English 'stream', meaning a current or flowing body of water. Both halves descend from old Germanic roots, and 'stream' is a close cousin of words for flowing water across the Germanic languages, including German 'Strom'. The combined adverb describing movement in the direction a river flows came into common written use in the nineteenth century. Over time it picked up a figurative life in industry and management, where it labels the later stages of a sequence, the refining and selling end of oil being the classic example. Because both parts are ordinary, familiar words, the spelling holds no real surprises beyond remembering to write it as one solid word rather than two.

How the word is built

• down (in a lower direction)
• stream (a flow of water)