Outward means facing or moving away from the centre. The outward journey, outward appearance, outward-facing.
The outward journey is the one out, against the return. Outward appearance means what is shown rather than what is felt — outwardly calm, inwardly not. In business, outward-facing describes work that deals with customers rather than internal matters. Note outwards, which is the British adverb where American English prefers outward; and outward bound, which was a shipping term long before it was a course.
1adjectiveoutwardFacing or moving away from the centre.
“When you drop a stone into a pond, the ripples spread in an outward ring.”
2adjectiveshownShown rather than felt.
“Despite her outward calm, she was terrified inside.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
outward is a direction or appearance.
Old English utweard is out plus -weard, the suffix meaning turned towards. Inward, forward and toward are built the same way.
Old English
ūtweard
Middle English
outward
English, today
outward
From Middle English outward, from Old English ūtweard, equivalent to out + ward.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA