Leftwards

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that indicates movement or orientation toward the left from a specific reference point, often in relation to other directions, particularly right
2. Describing an action or position that shifts, turns, or faces to the left, contrasting with rightward movements
3. In a direction pointing or moving to the left relative to a designated reference point

Etymology: "Leftwards" is a plain compound: "left" plus the suffix "-wards," which comes from Old English "-weard" and marks direction toward something. Put them together and you get a word meaning toward the left side. The same suffix produces "homewards," "upwards," and "backwards," so the formation is one of the most regular patterns in English. The "-wards" ending is older than the English language's standard forms of it. "-Weard" originally carried the sense of turning toward, and that idea of motion is still what the word carries. Its sibling "-ward" appears as a bare adjective in phrases like "a ward course," but in everyday use "leftwards" is almost always an adverb describing movement or orientation. Speakers of British and American English often differ on the form: "leftward" without the s is common in American writing, while "leftwards" is more typical in British usage. Both are standard, and the meaning is identical.

Synonyms: to the left, left, sinistrally, leftward, leftwise

Antonyms: rightwards, to the right, right, dextrally, rightwise