towards

Towards is a preposition and, in some contexts, an adverb in English. It expresses direction or attitude toward a person, place, object, or abstract target. Common uses include literal movement toward a location (towards the station), orientation relative to a direction (towards the north), and figurative aims or tendencies (towards a compromise).

Etymology and spelling: The word comes from to + wards, a directional suffix related to other -ward forms such as forward and backward. In British English it is typically spelled towards, while American English favors toward. Both spellings are widely understood, and many style guides permit either form, with preference depending on regional or editorial conventions.

Usage notes: Grammatically, towards governs a noun phrase or pronoun: toward the end of the day, towards the future. It is used with verbs of movement or orientation, as in They walked towards the river. In figurative language, it appears in constructions like move towards common ground or progress toward greater efficiency. Phrases with toward can indicate proximity, aim, or tendency, and they function across formal and informal registers.

Variants and related terms: Toward and towards are interchangeable in many contexts, with choice largely influenced by regional style guides. The term is related to other direction words and the suffix -ward, which forms similar nouns and adverbs describing direction.

See also: toward, -ward suffixes, directional prepositions such as across, along, into.