clockwise

C3L1O1C3K5W4I1S1E1
/ˈklɒkwaɪz/

adverb

In a curve or twist corresponding to the movement of the hands of a clock.

“Turn the handle clockwise to open it.”

Similar
CWdextrorotatorysunwisedeasildextrorotaryright-handed
Opposite
ACWanticlockwiseCCWcounterclockwisecounter-clockwise
OriginProto-Germanic *wīsaz ← Proto-Indo-European *weyd-s-ós ← English clock →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

adverbclockwise (not comparable)
  1. not comparableIn a curve or twist corresponding to the movement of the hands of a clock.

    Turn the handle clockwise to open it.

    1 more example

    The main —— or cooking —— kitchen is an inhumanly immaculate expanse of burner rings and countertops where, according to tradition, the stations move clockwise from canapé to entremetier.

    2009 May 28, Alan Feuer, “In the Gilded World of Per Se’s Kitchen”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: CW, dextrorotatory, sunwise, deasil

adjectiveclockwise (not comparable)
  1. not comparableMoving clockwise; having rotary motion in the manner of a clock.

    In the southern hemisphere the flow of air around a low-pressure system is clockwise.

    1 more example

    The clockwise beating of cilia results in a net flow of extraembryonic fluid leftwards […]

    2006, Manfred Schliwa, Molecular Motors, page 359

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a curve or twist corresponding to the movement of the hands of a clock.

Similar
CWdextrorotatorysunwisedeasil
Opposite
ACWanticlockwiseCCWcounterclockwisecounter-clockwisewithershinswiddershins

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivein the same direction as the rotating hands of a clock

Similar
dextrorotarydextrorotatoryright-handed
Opposite
counterclockwise

adverbin the direction that the hands of a clock move

Opposite
counterclockwise
Also see
dextrorotarydextrorotatoryright-handed

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Celtic*klokkosder.?
  2. Early Medieval Latinclocca
  3. Old Northern Frenchcloque
  4. Old Dutch*klokka
  5. Middle Dutchclocke
  6. Middle Englishclokke
  7. Englishclock
  8. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  10. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-s-ós
  11. Proto-Germanic*wīsaz
  12. Englishclockwise

From clock + -wise.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بِإِتِّجَاه عَقَارِب السَّاعَة
  • بِإِتِّجَاه عَقَارِب السَّاعَة (biʔittijāh ʕaqārib as-sāʕa)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Bulgarian по посока на часовнковата стрелка
  • по посока на часовнковата стрелка (po posoka na časovnkovata strelka)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Catalan en el sentit horari
  • en el sentit horariin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Chinese Mandarin 順時針 /顺时针, 順時針 /顺时针
  • 順時針 /顺时针 (shùn shízhēn)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • 順時針 /顺时针 (shùnshízhēn)moving clockwise
Czech po směru hodinových ručiček
  • po směru hodinových ručičekin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Danish med uret
  • med uretin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Dutch rechtsom, met de klok mee
  • rechtsomin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • met de klok meein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • in wijzerzinin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Esperanto dekstrume, horloĝdirekte
  • dekstrumein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • horloĝdirektein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • dekstrumamoving clockwise
Estonian päripäeva
  • päripäevain a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Finnish myötäpäivään
  • myötäpäiväänin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
French dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre, dans le sens horaire
  • dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montrein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • dans le sens horairein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
German im Uhrzeigersinn, Uhrzeigersinn
  • im Uhrzeigersinnin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • Uhrzeigersinnmoving clockwise
Greek δεξιόστροφα, κατά τη φορά των δεικτών του ρολογιού
  • δεξιόστροφα (dexióstrofa)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • κατά τη φορά των δεικτών του ρολογιού (katá ti forá ton deiktón tou rologioú)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • δεξιόστροφος (dexióstrofos)moving clockwise
Hebrew כיוון השעון, כיוון השעון
  • כיוון השעון (kivún hasha'ón)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • כיוון השעון (kivún hasha'ón)moving clockwise
Hindi दक्षिणावर्त्त
  • दक्षिणावर्त्त (dakṣiṇāvartt)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Hungarian az óra járásával megegyező irányba
  • az óra járásával megegyező iránybain a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Indonesian searah jarum jam, arah jam
  • searah jarum jamin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • arah jamin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • arah jammoving clockwise
Irish deiseal
  • deisealin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Italian in senso orario
  • in senso orarioin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Japanese 右回り, 時計回り
  • 右回り (migimawari)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • 時計回り (tokei-mawari)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Korean 시계 방향
  • 시계 방향 (sigye banghyang)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Malay ikut arah jam, ikut arah jam
  • ikut arah jamin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • ikut arah jammoving clockwise
Māori whakatekaraka, whakatekaraka
  • whakatekarakain a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • whakatekarakamoving clockwise
Norwegian medurs
  • medursin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Norwegian Bokmål med klokken
  • med klokkenin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Polish zgodnie z ruchem wskazówek zegara, prawoskrętnie
  • zgodnie z ruchem wskazówek zegarain a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • prawoskrętniein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • zgodny z ruchem wskazówek zegaramoving clockwise
  • prawoskrętnymoving clockwise
Portuguese no sentido horário, no sentido dos ponteiros do relógio
  • no sentido horárioin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • no sentido dos ponteiros do relógioin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Romanian în sens orar, în sensul acelor de ceasornic
  • în sens orarin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • în sensul acelor de ceasornicin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Russian по часово́й стре́лке, по́солонь
  • по часово́й стре́лке (po časovój strélke)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • по́солонь (pósolonʹ)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Scottish Gaelic deiseil
  • deiseilin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Slovak v smere ručičiek
  • v smere ručičiekin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Spanish en el sentido de las agujas del reloj, en sentido horario
  • en el sentido de las agujas del relojin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • en sentido horarioin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • dextrorsamentein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • dextrógiramentein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • conforme a las manecillas del relojin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • en el sentido del relojin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • dextrógiromoving clockwise
  • dextrorsomoving clockwise
  • horariomoving clockwise
Swedish medurs, medsols
  • medursin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • medsolsin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Tagalog pataknaan, pataknaan
  • pataknaanin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • pataknaanmoving clockwise
Tamil வலஞ்சுழி
  • வலஞ்சுழி (valañcuḻi)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Thai ตามเข็มนาฬิกา
  • ตามเข็มนาฬิกาin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Turkish saat yönünde
  • saat yönündein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Ukrainian за годиннико́вою стрі́лкою, за годиннико́вою вказі́вкою
  • за годиннико́вою стрі́лкою (za hodynnykóvoju strílkoju)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • за годиннико́вою вказі́вкою (za hodynnykóvoju vkazívkoju)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Urdu بائیں سے دائیں
  • بائیں سے دائیں (bāẽ se dāẽ)in a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Vietnamese theo chiều kim đồng hồ
  • theo chiều kim đồng hồin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
Welsh yn glocwedd, yn null cloc
  • yn glocweddin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • yn null clocin a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • i'r ddein a circular fashion in the same direction as the hands of an analogue clock
  • clocweddmoving clockwise
Cite this entry
APA

clockwise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clockwise

MLA

“clockwise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clockwise. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clockwise,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clockwise.

Source: clockwise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.