What does southwards mean?
Southwards means toward the south. It is used when describing movement, orientation, or the direction in which something extends, as in “the road runs southwards” or “they travelled southwards before dawn.” Its directional meaning is literal, but the word can also suggest a general approach toward a less prominent or more southerly position. Southwards is especially common in British English, while American usage tends to favor “southward.” Although the ending “-wards” looks plural, it is an old directional suffix and does not change when the adverb is used. The word belongs to a family including the noun and adjective “southward” and the related geographic word “southern.”
Toward the south or toward a lower latitude.
"The aircraft turned southwards toward the coast."
Chiefly British in modern usage, although it is understood and occasionally used in American English as well.
Directed or oriented toward the south.
"The vessel maintained a southwards course."
Less common than the adverb; the shorter form “southward” is often preferred in modern American English.
The direction of south.
"Their path lay to the southwards of the settlement."
Rare in contemporary general usage and more characteristic of literary or technical writing.
Follow the compass south: the word has guided directions since the Old English period.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does southwards come from?
The word is based on Old English sūþ, meaning “south,” together with a directional element meaning “in the direction of.” The development of the adverb involved the use of the Old English directional suffix -weard and the later adverbial ending -s. The related forms “south,” “southern,” and “southward” share the same Old English directional root.
Related word forms
How southwards is actually used
Common in British English and formal or descriptive writing. American English more often uses the shorter form “southward.” The plural-sounding “-wards” ending is adverbial and does not indicate number.