Definition of work towards

The phrase "work towards" originated in the late 19th century as a more concise alternative to "work for the attainment of" or "work in order to achieve." It is a phrasal verb, composed of the word "work" as the main verb and the preposition "towards" as a directional indication. The history of the word "towards" dates back to Old English, where it was spelled "toward" and used to mean "in the direction of," "toward," "towardly," or "in order to reach." Through the Middle English period, the word's meaning and spelling underwent several changes, with "toward" taking on additional meanings like "near" or "approaching." In the 1800s, the phrase "work towards" started to gain popularity as a more economical and explicit way to express the goal-oriented action of working in the direction of achieving something. It quickly became a commonly used phrase in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. Today, "work towards" is recognized as a standard and widely understood expression in the English language. Notably, in British English, it is sometimes spelled as "work towards" with a space between the "work" and the "towards," while in American English, the two words are often written as one, as in "worktowards."