clockwise

Etymology

It is formed from English clock + -wise,^[2][3][4] the suffix meaning "way, manner", as in lengthwise.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the direction in which the hands of a clock turn: 1874, in the Spectator.^[2] Etymonline dates it to 1879,^[3] Merriam-Webster to 1888,^[6] and Dictionary.com to 1885–90.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The adjective, of something turning in the direction of a clock's hands, followed in 1879, in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.^[2] Merriam-Webster notes that the word is opposed to counterclockwise and gives "with the sun" as a further gloss.^[6]

Timeline

• 1874 – adverb, in the direction of a clock's hands.^[2]
• 1879 – adjective, turning in that direction.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In the same direction as the hands of a clock move, as seen from the front: Turn the dial clockwise to raise the volume.^[6][2]

Adjective

1. Moving or turning in that direction: a clockwise rotation.^[6][2]

Word family

• contraclockwise

Related words

• clock
• counterclockwise
• anticlockwise
• -wise
• lengthwise
• otherwise

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
5. ^ Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster