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Added 9 October 2026

backward

/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/ adjective

In Latin: rūrsum, retrōrsum Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about backward at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Directed or facing toward the back or rear.
a backward view
(used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature.
a backward lover
Retarded in intellectual development.

adverb

At or to or toward the back or rear.
he moved back
In a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal.
it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'
In or to or toward a past time.
set the clocks back an hour

Origin

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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