Backward

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/

Definitions

1. Moving or facing toward the rear or in reverse direction; opposite of forward
2. Directed toward the rear or in a reverse manner
3. opposite of the front or forward position

Etymology: "Backward" is a plain compound: "back" used as an adverb, with the suffix "-ward" meaning "in the direction of." Together they describe motion toward the rear, and the same pairing produced "forward," "toward," and "homeward." The form came into Middle English as "bakwarde" and "abakward," with the "a-" prefix (from "on" or "in") sometimes added, as in "abak," meaning "back" or "behind," a usage that eventually faded. The word's closest relative lies across the North Sea. Old Frisian had "bekward," which carries the same sense of turning toward the back. That shared Germanic pattern shows the word was built from native materials rather than borrowed, which is why it feels so ordinary in English today.

Synonyms: rearward, reverse, retreating, receding, regressive

Antonyms: forward, progressive, advancing, onward, frontal