Westward means towards where the sun sets. Sail westward, the westward journey, westward expansion.
In American history the westward expansion is the standing phrase for the settlement of the continent, and it is a phrase written from one direction only — the people already there did not experience it as anybody arriving from the east.
1adverbwestwardTowards where the sun sets.
“The storm is moving westward and should reach the coast tonight.”
westward is a direction.
Old English westweard, west plus -ward, an ending marking direction.
Old English
westweard
Middle English
westward
English, today
westward
From Middle English westward, from Old English westweard.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA