Upwardness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of moving or being directed towards a higher point or level
2. The state of progressing or extending toward an elevated position or degree
3. A characteristic marked by movement or growth in a higher or more advanced direction

Etymology: "Upwardness" is a plain combination of two English parts: "upward," meaning toward a higher place, and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. "Upward" itself traces back to Old English "upweard," built from "up" and the suffix "-weard," meaning "toward," so the word has been pointing skyward in English for a very long time. Adding "-ness" to it gives a name for the quality of being directed upward, whether that refers to a physical climb or a rising degree of something abstract, such as prices, ambitions, or social standing.

Synonyms: ascendancy, rise, uplift

Antonyms: downwardness, decline