inward
adjective
in·ward
| \ ˈin-wərd
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Definition of inward
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: situated on the inside : inner
2a
: of or relating to the mind or spirit
inward peace
b
: absorbed in one's own mental or spiritual life : introspective
3
: marked by close acquaintance : familiar
4
: directed toward the interior
inward
adverb
\ ˈin-wərd
\
\
variants:
or inwards \ ˈin-wərdz
\
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Definition of inward (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: toward the inside, center, or interior
2
: toward the inner being
inward
nounDefinition of inward (Entry 3 of 3)
1
: something that is inward
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Synonyms & Antonyms for inward
Synonyms: Adjective
inner, inside, interior, internal
Antonyms: Adjective
exterior, external, outer, outside, outward
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Examples of inward in a Sentence
Adjective
moved towards the inward room for more privacy he's more inward with the president than most members of the cabinetAdverb
The window faces inward toward the courtyard. He turned his attention inward.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The high cost of housing is now a barrier to inward investment, to emigrants returning with skills, to people hoping to start families and who want to move. — New York Times, "Housing Crisis Grips Ireland a Decade After Property Bubble Burst," 8 Aug. 2019 An inward facing camera mounted on the dashboard captured the ride to the State Police post, and microphones picked up their conversation. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Malik McDowell's dreams crashed on his ATV: 'He's not the same person'," 28 July 2019 Economists often assume that a reduction in openness to trade will crimp long-term productivity growth, in part because specialisation is more difficult and in part because inward investment from abroad would be lower. — The Economist, "Why predicting the impact of a no-deal Brexit is so hard," 25 July 2019 The generally accepted speed limit for black hole growth is called the Eddington rate, a balance between the outward force of radiation and the inward force of gravity. — Meredith Fore, WIRED, "Where Do Supermassive Black Holes Come From?," 18 July 2019 The main function of the IT band is to stabilize the knee, assist with inward rotation, and help with hip abduction. — Trihealth, Cincinnati.com, "Common running injuries," 21 June 2019 Meanwhile, as London prospers, the declining coastal and industrial areas that were so strongly supportive of Brexit suffer from a continued lack of inward investment. — Matthew Goodwin, WSJ, "Europe’s Populists Are Here to Stay," 14 June 2019 According to general relativity, the inward gravitational collapse never stops. — Quanta Magazine, "Why Black Hole Interiors Grow (Almost) Forever," 6 Dec. 2018 The demand for mail was the outward expression of my son’s inward imitation of me. — Amy Joyce, Washington Post, "This is Fatherhood," 13 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
After a northward jog, the highway drops south and accesses Cathedral Provincial Park, which features laid-back lodges beside deep alpine lakes—the perfect setting to unplug, look inward, and unwind. — Outside Online, "The Best Places to Savor Fall in British Columbia," 14 Aug. 2019 But instead of going wide and speaking on larger political and societal issues, MUNA looked inward. — Stephen Daw, Billboard, "MUNA on Queer Anthems & Creating 'Something Bigger Than Ourselves'," 9 Aug. 2019 In the Season 1 finale, the show’s guest Yuval Noah Harari advises us to protect ourselves against A.I. manipulation by looking inward. — Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, "Three Podcasts to Listen to in July," 9 July 2019 Get our daily newsletter China was an inward-looking, continental power when Mr Wu was born. — The Economist, "China’s maritime expansion reflects a curious mix of ambition and paranoia," 4 July 2019 Some gesture obliquely toward the violence that led to the riot for which the series is named; others look inward. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "The Lesbian ‘Propagandist’ Who Documented a Movement," 19 June 2019 At its best, the pitch darts sharply inward and down against right-handed batters. — James Wagner, New York Times, "Latest Casualty of M.L.B.’s Changing Ball: Masahiro Tanaka’s Splitter," 5 Aug. 2019 Launched last August, the spacecraft will orbit the sun 24 times over the next 7 years, spiralling inward with each revolution. — Sophia Chen, WIRED, "Physicists Made a Blazing Hot Plasma Doughnut to Study Solar Wind," 29 July 2019 Beginning that month, and finishing in April of this year, Neville documented life in the region, mostly in or around Guingamp, hoping to show the complexity and openness of what may seem to be a tribal, inward-looking place. — Brian Dillon, The New Yorker, "After the Brexit Vote, Mark Neville Looks at Life in “Little Britain”," 27 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Instead, simply by turning all the drama inward, Chapter Two’s second trailer ramps up the scares. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Watch: It Chapter Two returns with an eerie new trailer," 18 July 2019 Use painters tape, spend a little more on quality brushes, and fill in from the edges, painting inwards, to get the best results. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "How to Paint a Wall Mural," 25 June 2019 Such satellites would likely be lost during the chaos-inducing inward migration undertaken by these giants after their formation, the thinking goes. — Mike Wall, Space.com, "First Exomoon Found? Neptune-Sized World Possibly Spotted Orbiting Alien Planet," 3 Oct. 2018 In the Charlottesville City Council, anger and resentment over last year’s march quickly turned inwards, as progressives went to war with themselves. — James Loeffler, WSJ, "The Struggle for Charlottesville," 10 Aug. 2018 The white garage door on the victim's house looked warped inwards, with enough space for someone to enter or exit. — Jordan Cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "His friend said he wasn't returning calls. Homicide detectives now are investigating his death.," 24 June 2018 Do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing inwards towards the torso. — Emily Abbate, GQ, "The Best Abs Workouts: GQ’s Definitive Guide to Getting a Ripped Stomach," 14 June 2018 Turn it around so that the zipper or opening faces inwards, making discreet access harder. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Reality of In-Flight Theft," 18 May 2018 Meanwhile, Chinese state media and government officials have seized on the dispute as an opportunity to portray China as a champion of free trade at a time when the US is turning inwards. — Michael Holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "US versus China: How a tussle for advantage fuels risk of a trade war," 12 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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