Towards
/təˈwɔːrdz/noun
In the direction of or closer to a person, place, or goal.
Did you know?The ending -s in “towards” comes from an Old English genitive form, meaning the word originally belonged to an inflected grammatical system rather than being a simple plural.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“To perceive, watch, or guard; the deep root behind the directional element later found in -ward.”
Old English
Old English
tōweard
“Toward, approaching, or facing in the direction of something; formed from tō, “to,” and -weard, “turned toward.””
Old English
Old English
tōweardes
“Toward or in the direction of; the -es ending reflects an old genitive form used adverbially.”
Middle English
Middle English
towardes
“In the direction of; a spelling and pronunciation development of Old English tōweardes.”
15th Century
English
toward
“In the direction of; the final -s began to vary regionally, producing both toward and towards.”
Modern English
English
towards
“In the direction of, closer to, or with the aim of achieving something.”