Eastward

How to spell eastward

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce eastward

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does eastward mean?

1. adverbToward the east; in the direction of where the sun rises.
2. adjectiveFacing or directed toward the east.

Eastward in a sentence

• adverb

  The convoy pressed eastward across the open plain for three days.

• adjective

  The eastward side of the house catches the morning sun.

• adverb

  From the harbour the ferry turns eastward before reaching the island.

• adjective

  A steady eastward wind pushed the clouds inland.

Where does eastward come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word descends directly from Old English, where it appeared as 'eastweard', a compound of 'east' and the directional suffix '-weard'. The suffix '-weard' came from a Germanic root meaning 'turned toward' or 'facing in a certain direction', and it is the same element that survives in 'toward', 'forward', and 'backward'. The 'east' part is itself an ancient Germanic word linked to the idea of dawn, the direction in which the sun rises, sharing distant kinship with the Latin 'aurora' for daybreak. Because the word has stayed native English throughout its long history, its spelling is regular and phonetic: you simply join the familiar word 'east' to the familiar suffix '-ward', with no silent or foreign letters to trip over. The chief thing to remember is that the ending is '-ward' with an 'a', not '-werd' or '-word'.

How the word is built

• east (the compass direction)
• -ward (Old English -weard: turned toward, in the direction of)