{
    "term": "towards",
    "partOfSpeech": "preposition",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "in the direction of somebody/something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They were heading towards the German border."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She had her back towards me."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "getting closer to achieving something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "This is a first step towards political union."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "close or closer to a point in time",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "towards the end of April"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "in relation to somebody/something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was warm and tender towards her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "our attitude towards death"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "with the aim of obtaining something, or helping somebody to obtain something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The money will go towards a new school building *(= will help pay for it)*."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/təˈwɔːdz/",
                "audio": "to/towards/towards__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/təˈwɔːd/",
                "audio": "to/towards/toward__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tɔːrdz/",
                "audio": "to/towards/towards__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tɔːrd/",
                "audio": "to/towards/toward__us_1_rr.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English tōweardes (see to, -ward)."
}