Outward vs Toward - What's the difference?

outward | toward |

In obsolete terms the difference between outward and toward

is that outward is outwardly, in outer appearances; publicly while toward is future; to come.

As adjectives the difference between outward and toward

is that outward is outer; located towards the outside while toward is future; to come.

As an adverb outward

is towards the outside; away from the centre.

As a verb outward

is to ward off; to keep out.

As a preposition toward is

in the direction of.

outward

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl)

Adjective

(en adjective)

outer; located towards the outside

visible, noticeable

By all outward indications, he's a normal happy child, but if you talk to him, you will soon realize he has some psychological problems.

Tending to the exterior or outside.

* Dryden

The fire will force its outward way.

(obsolete) Foreign; not civil or intestine.

an outward war

(Hayward)

Adverb

(en adverb)

Towards the outside; away from the centre.

:We are outward bound.

*Shakespeare

*:The wrong side may be turned outward .

(obsolete) Outwardly, in outer appearances; publicly.

*:ANd thenne the quene lete make a preuy dyner in london vnto the kny?tes of the round table / and al was for to shewe outward that she had as grete Ioye in al other knyghtes of the table round as she had in sir launcelot / al only at that dyner she had sir Gawayne and his bretheren

Synonyms

* outwards

Derived terms

* outwardness

Etymology 2

From .

Verb

(en verb)

(obsolete, rare) To ward off; to keep out.

* 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.1:

Ne any armour could his dint out-ward ; / But wheresoever it did light, it throughly shard.

Anagrams

* *

toward

English

Preposition

(en-prep) (mainly in American English)

In the direction of.

*(Bible), (w) xxiv. 1

*:He set his face toward the wilderness.

*:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

In relation to (someone or something).

*(Bible), (w)

*:His eye shall be evil toward his brother.

For the purpose of attaining (an aim).

Located close to; near (a time or place).

*(Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)

*:I am toward nine years older since I left you.

Synonyms

* towards

Usage notes

* Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words (term) and (towards), the difference is merely dialectal. (term) is more common in American English and (towards) is the predominant form in British English.

Adjective

(-)

(obsolete) Future; to come.

* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.iv:

ere that wished day his beame disclosd, / He either enuying my toward good, / Or of himselfe to treason ill disposd / One day vnto me came in friendly mood [...].

(dated) Approaching, coming near; impending; present, at hand.

* Shakespeare

Do you hear aught, sir, of a battle toward ?

* 1843 , '', book 2, ch. XV, ''Practical — Devotional

On the morrow […] orders the Cellerarius to send off his carpenters to demolish the said structure brevi manu , and lay up the wood in safe keeping. Old Dean Herbert, hearing what was toward , comes tottering along hither, to plead humbly for himself and his mill.

Yielding, pliant; docile; ready or apt to learn; not froward.

(obsolete, or, archaic) Promising, likely; froward.

Why, that is spoken like a toward prince. ? Shakespeare.

Statistics

* American English