Outward

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈaʊt.wɚd/

Definitions

1. Moving or directed toward the outside or exterior; relating to external appearance or physical form rather than inner nature
2. Directed away from the center or something's interior
3. Directed away from the interior or central part of something ; concerned with how something looks on the outside rather than its inner characteristics

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "out" joined to the suffix "-ward," meaning "in a particular direction." "Out" descends from Old English "ūt," which traces back through Proto-Germanic "ūt" to a Proto-Indo-European root, while "ward" carries the sense of "turned toward," as in "homeward" or "backward." Combined in Old English as "ūtweard," the pair described motion or orientation toward the outside. The adjective sense, meaning directed away from the center or interior, came into English from Middle English "outward," which kept the same spatial meaning. Its use as an adjective for things like "outward appearance" grew out of that basic sense of facing or moving away from within.

Synonyms: external, superficial, visible, exterior, apparent

Antonyms: inward, internal, hidden, concealed, subtle