Eastward means moving or facing toward the east, the direction where the sun rises each morning. If you're traveling eastward across the United States, you're heading from California toward New York. A ship sailing eastward from England will eventually reach mainland Europe, then Asia.

The word describes both movement and position. A window that faces eastward catches the morning sunlight. Pioneers who traveled westward across America in the 1800s were doing the opposite of those few who journeyed eastward back to the cities they'd left behind.

You can also use eastward as an adverb, describing how something moves: “The storm moved eastward overnight” or “We drove eastward until we reached the coast.” Some people say eastwards (with an 's'), which means exactly the same thing.

Understanding directions like eastward helps you navigate and describe where things are. When you read history, you'll often see eastward used to describe migrations, explorations, or military campaigns. For instance, as the Roman Empire expanded, it pushed eastward into Asia Minor and the Middle East.