Outward means toward the outside or away from the center of something. When you open a door that swings outward, it moves away from the room rather than into it. When ripples spread outward from where you dropped a stone in a pond, they move away from the center point in all directions.

The word describes movement or direction going from inside to outside, or from a center point toward the edges. A tree grows outward as its branches extend farther from the trunk. Cities expand outward as new neighborhoods are built beyond the old downtown core.

Outward can also describe what's visible on the surface rather than what's happening inside. Someone's outward appearance is what you can see: their clothes, expression, and posture. But their inward thoughts and feelings might be completely different. A student might show outward confidence during a presentation while feeling nervous inside.

When sailors in the Age of Exploration set out on outward voyages, they were heading away from home toward distant lands. The outward journey took them across oceans, while the return trip brought them back home. People still use this meaning today: an outward-bound ship is heading away from port, toward the open sea.