Word.ws English Dictionary

backwords

backwords is the plural of backword.

Meaning of backword

Noun

backword (plural backwords)

  1. A contention, retort, or reply.
  2. 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
  3. A section of commentary at the end of a book.

Questions about backwords

What is backwords the plural of?
Backwords is the plural of backword.

Words near backwords in the dictionary

  1. backwoodsiness
  2. backwoodsman
  3. backwoodsmen
  4. backwoodsy
  5. backword
  6. backwords
  7. backwork
  8. backworm
  9. backworms
  10. Backworth
  11. backwound

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: backwords (page history and authors); 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.

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Cite this entry: “backwords.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/backwords. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.