“Toward” and “towards” are essentially the same word with a slight difference in their usage based on regional preferences. Here are the distinctions:
- Toward: This is the preferred spelling in American English.
- Towards: This form is more commonly used in British English.
Beyond regional preferences, there’s no inherent difference in meaning or usage between the two terms. They both function as prepositions indicating direction or movement in a particular direction. For instance:
- “She walked toward the store.”
- “She walked towards the store.”
Both sentences convey the same idea and are grammatically correct, just with a spelling variation based on the location or style of English being used.
Meaning and definition of ‘toward’ and ‘towards’
“Toward” and “towards” are prepositions used to indicate direction or movement in a specific direction.
- Meaning: Both words convey the idea of movement, orientation, or direction toward something or in a particular direction.
- Definition:
- Toward: It is a preposition used in American English to indicate movement or direction in a specific way or location.
- Towards: This is a preposition used in British English that means the same thing as “toward” – denoting movement or direction in a particular way or location.
How should ‘toward’ or ‘towards’ be used?
Both “toward” and “towards” are used as prepositions to indicate direction, movement, or orientation about a specific point, place, or goal. They are used similarly in sentences, with a slight regional preference in usage.
Here are examples of how “toward” or “towards” can be used in sentences:
1. Direction or Movement:
- She walked toward the park.
- He ran towards the building.
2. Figurative or Abstract Direction:
- The company is working towards achieving its goals.
- She felt a sense of kindness towards her neighbor.
3. Time or Progress:
- They are making progress toward completing the project.
- The train is moving towards the station.
Examples of ‘toward’ and ‘towards’
Here are more examples of how “toward” and “towards” can be used in sentences:
- “The cat walked toward the door.”
- This sentence indicates the movement of the cat in the direction of the door.
- “Sarah pointed towards the mountains.”
- Sarah is indicating or directing attention to the mountains by pointing in that direction.
- “He is working toward earning a promotion.”
- This sentence expresses the purpose or goal for which he is working – in this case, achieving a promotion.
- “She is studying towards becoming a doctor.”
- Here, her studies are aimed at or intended for the achievement of becoming a doctor.
- “The teacher was very sympathetic towards the struggling students.”
- This sentence describes the attitude or feeling the teacher had regarding the struggling students.
- “His attitude towards his job has changed.”
- It describes a change in his feelings or approach concerning his job.
- “The ship sailed toward the island.”
- The ship is moving in the direction of the island.
- “The road leads towards the city center.”
- This sentence indicates the direction in which the road goes, leading to the city center.
- “They made significant progress toward completing the renovation.”
- It shows the progress made in achieving the completion of a renovation.
- “The team is working towards winning the championship.”
- The team’s efforts are focused on the goal of winning the championship.
- “He showed no empathy towards her situation.”
- This describes the absence of empathy or understanding concerning her situation.
- “I have a lot of respect towards their dedication.”
- This expresses admiration or regard for their dedication.
In all these examples, “toward” or “towards” is used to denote direction, intention, emotion, or progress in various contexts without significantly altering the meaning of the sentence. The choice between the two forms is often a matter of regional preference or personal style in writing.
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