onwards

onwards — adverb

1. used with a time or event to show that something starts at that point and keeps

1.adverbB1
Definition

used with a time or event to show that something starts at that point and keeps going into the future

Example

From Monday onwards, the library will open an hour earlier.

from + time + onwards = starting point

From 2010 onwards, Nora worked for a renewable energy firm in Kaohsiung.

Common collocations
  • from tomorrow onwards
  • from March onwards
  • from that point onwards
  • from 2000 onwards
Synonyms
  • forward

    less common in temporal use; 'from now forward' is more formal than 'from now onwards'

  • from then on

    used as a whole phrase rather than an adverb, more conversational

Antonyms
  • before

    refers to a time earlier than the reference point

Grammar Patterns

from [time reference] onwards

Usage Note

Always requires a preceding 'from' phrase that names the starting time or event ('from March onwards', 'from that day onwards'). Without 'from', this sense does not work.

Common Mistakes

Onwards 2020, the company grew fast.
From 2020 onwards, the company grew fast.
'onwards' in this sense must follow a 'from' phrase.

2. continuing to move forward in space or to make progress in an activity or proces

2.adverbB1
Definition

continuing to move forward in space or to make progress in an activity or process

Example

The hikers walked onwards through the forest until they reached the river.

walked onwards = physical forward movement

After a short rest, the team marched onwards toward the mountain base.

Common collocations
  • move onwards
  • walk onwards
  • carry onwards
  • go onwards
  • continue onwards
Synonyms
  • forward

    interchangeable in most physical movement contexts; 'forward' is more common in American English

  • ahead

    stronger focus on destination; 'the road ahead' vs 'moving onwards'

Antonyms
  • backwards

    opposite direction of movement

  • back

    returning toward the starting point

Grammar Patterns

[verb of motion] + onwards

carry/move/go + onwards

Usage Note

Common with motion verbs: walk, move, march, carry, go, continue. Can be used literally (physical direction) or figuratively (progress in a plan, career, or project).

Common Mistakes

I onwards walked to the station.
I walked onwards to the station.
'onwards' comes after the verb, not before it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

Onwards, forward, and ahead all describe movement toward a point in front, but they differ slightly in use. Onwards emphasises continuation — you were already moving and you keep going ('the caravan pushed onwards through the desert'). Forward is the most general word for direction toward the front; it is used in both physical ('step forward') and figurative ('bring forward a proposal') settings. Ahead focuses on the destination or future point ('the finish line was still two miles ahead'). In physical movement, onwards and forward often overlap ('walk onwards' = 'walk forward'), but onwards adds a feeling of steady progress beyond a starting point. In American English, forward is preferred; onwards is more common in British English.

onwards ↗forward ↗ahead ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • straight onwards
  • ever onwards

Phrases

  • from [time] onwards
  • move onwards
  • go onwards
  • carry onwards

Prepositions

  • from ... onwards

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Onwards comes from the Middle English phrase 'onward' (from 'on' + '-ward' meaning 'in the direction of'), with the adverbial '-s' added later. It has been used since the 1500s to describe forward movement in both space and time.