What does downwardly mean?
"Downwardly" is an adverb meaning in a direction or manner that tends lower — physically toward a lower point, or figuratively toward a lower level of wealth, rank, or social standing. It is formed from the adjective "downward" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly," giving it the same relationship to "downward" that "similarly" has to "similar." In everyday English it appears most famously in the phrase "downwardly mobile," coined in the twentieth century as the opposite of "upwardly mobile" to describe people whose economic or social trajectory is declining rather than rising. Used on its own, the word is grammatically correct but relatively rare and somewhat formal; writers usually prefer "downward" or "downwards" for literal motion, reserving "downwardly" chiefly for discussions of class, income, and mobility. Its connotations are often sobering, since it typically signals loss of status rather than mere physical descent.
adverbIn a direction or position that is lower or toward a lower point or level. Especially in "downwardly mobile," it describes movement toward a lower social or economic status.
- Toward a lower point, position, or level.
- Toward a lower social, economic, or professional status (chiefly in "downwardly mobile").
"House prices drifted downwardly through the second half of the year."
"The path descended downwardly through the misty pine forest."
"Once a rising executive, he found himself downwardly mobile after the company collapsed."
You almost never meet "downwardly" on its own — it lives almost entirely inside one famous phrase: "downwardly mobile."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of downwardly
"Downwardly" is formed transparently within English from the adjective "downward" combined with the native suffix "-ly," which converts adjectives into adverbs. "Downward" itself derives from Old English "dūne," the adverb form related to "down," joined with "-weard" ("toward"), the same element found in "forward" and "homeward." The compound pattern parallels other directional adverbs such as "eastward" and "afterward." The distinctive modern usage in "downwardly mobile," contrasting with "upwardly mobile," emerged in mid-twentieth-century American sociological writing before entering general usage.
Related word forms
How downwardly is actually used
Formal to neutral in register. Outside the set phrase "downwardly mobile," plain "downward" or "downwards" is strongly preferred by most writers, so "downwardly" used alone can sound stilted or unusual.
Easily confused with downwardly
"Downward" can be an adjective (a downward slope) or an adverb, while "downwardly" is only an adverb and is far rarer outside the fixed phrase "downwardly mobile."