utåt

Utåt is a Swedish adverb meaning outward or toward the exterior. It denotes direction, orientation, or tendency away from a reference point such as the center or interior. The term is used to describe physical movement or the orientation of objects, as well as more figurative directions such as outward-facing behavior or outward appeal.

Common usage includes phrases that describe movement or posture toward the outside. It can modify verbs or adjectives to express outward orientation, for example in contexts describing which direction something is pointing or how a surface or object is oriented relative to the interior. In design, engineering, and anatomy, utåt is often found in combinations that indicate outward-facing or outward-directed characteristics.

In contrast, inåt is the common antonym meaning inward or toward the inside. The pair is frequently used to distinguish directions or orientations in spatial descriptions as well as in metaphorical language about behavior or attention.

Etymology and form: utåt is formed from the preposition ut (out) combined with åt in this directional usage. As an adverb, it behaves invariable and does not change with gender or number. In Swedish, it is also found in compound phrases such as utåt riktad, which describe outward direction or orientation.

See also: inåt, riktning, utanför.