backword
backword noun: a contention, retort, or reply.
Noun
backword (plural backwords)
- A contention, retort, or reply.
- A contradiction or answer to put off an engagement; a countermand.
- Richard has compounded with some Italians to paint a mural of his triumph [...] The time may come when the scene is bitter in his eyes, but he should paint it anyway. He should not give backword to the Italians — it is how they get their living.2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 840
- A section of commentary at the end of a book.
Forms of backword
| plural | backwords |
|---|
Origin of backword
From back + word.
Questions about backword
- What does backword mean?
- Backword means a contention, retort, or reply.
- What part of speech is backword?
- Backword is a noun.
- What is the plural of backword?
- The plural of backword is backwords.
Words near backword in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: backword (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “backword.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/backword. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.