This word confusion upward vs upwards essentially means the same thing — except, upwards is ONLY an adverb.
Upward(s) is all about moving up. I know, what a surprise, lol. It can be a physical movement; a promotion; increasing costs or rank,; going up a level; or, towards something.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Afterward(s) versus Afterword“, “Backward versus Backwards“, “Forward versus Forwards“, “Onward versus Onwards“, and “Toward versus Towards“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Upward | Upwards |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Adverb | Adverb |
| Adjective: Moving, pointing, or leading to a higher place, point, or level Adverb: Toward a higher or more distinguished condition, rank, level, etc. To a greater degree
Toward a large city, the source or origin of a stream, or the interior of a country or region In the upper parts
Toward the head or upper parts Toward a later time or age |
Adverb: From a lower to a higher place, level, condition, etc Towards a higher level, standing, etc. Toward the head or upper parts Toward a later time or age |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: In the last quarter, there was an upward trend in sales. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught an upward movement. She concentrated her efforts on upward mobility. Adverb: The event normally attracts upward of 25,000 spectators. The birds flew upward. His employer wishes to move him upward in the company. They followed the Thames River upward from the North Sea to London. There weren’t too many projects worth upward of 200 million pounds. She was bare from the waist upward. Life with a child only gets worse from adolescence upward. |
Adverb: My vacation cost me upwards of a thousand dollars. “Yet the undocumented population remains upwards eleven million” (Kotkin). “. . . the onslaught of upwards of seventy divisions . . .” – Winston S. Churchill She was bare from the waist upwards. Life with a child only gets worse from adolescence upwards. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adverb: upwardly Noun: upwardness |
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| History of the Word: | |
| Old English upweard(es).
(See Old English up(p), uppe, of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch op and the German auf + Old English -weard, from a Germanic base meaning turn.) |
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Upward versus Upwards
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Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: upward
The Free Dictionary: upwards
Kotkin, Joel. “Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty.” The Daily Beast. 21 Nov 2014. Last updated 14 April 2017. Accessed 22 July 2024. <https://www.thedailybeast.com/legal-but-still-poor-the-economic-consequences-of-amnesty?source=dictionary>.
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