- (a.) Already past or gone; bygone.
- (a.) Directed to the back or rear; as, backward glances.
- (a.) Unwilling; averse; reluctant; hesitating; loath.
- (v.i.) To keep back; to hinder.
- (a.) Late or behindhand; as, a backward season.
- (a.) Not advanced in civilization; undeveloped; as, the country or region is in a backward state.
- (adv.) Alternative of Backwards.
- (n.) The state behind or past.
- (a.) Not well advanced in learning; not quick of apprehension; dull; inapt; as, a backward child.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). backward. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/backward/definitions/1977841 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "backward" http://smartdefine.org/backward/definitions/1977841 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, backward, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/backward/definitions/1977841>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "backward" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/backward/definitions/1977841> |