Onward means continuing forward in space or time, moving ahead without stopping or turning back. When a pioneer family packed their wagon and headed onward to Oregon, they kept traveling west despite difficult terrain and weather. When a marathon runner feels exhausted at mile twenty but pushes onward, she keeps moving toward the finish line.

The word carries a sense of determination and progress. It emphasizes persistence: continuing forward even when things get challenging. A general might order troops to march onward after a brief rest. A scientist discovering that one experiment failed might move onward to the next approach.

You'll often see onward paired with “from,” as in “from this day onward,” meaning from now into the future. When a school principal says “From fifth grade onward, students will change classes,” she means fifth grade and every grade after that.

Onward suggests momentum and purpose. It's the word for someone who isn't giving up or going back, but instead keeps heading in the direction they've chosen, ready for whatever comes next.